Dissolved CO2 in natural waters: development of an automated monitoring system and first application to Stromboli volcano (Italy)

摘要

The study of geochemical parameters applied to natural systems hasprovided improved knowledge of geochemical mechanisms of gas/rockdissolution in natural waters that are linked to gas–water and/or water–rock interaction processes. Here we present the results of our studies focusedon the development of an automated monitoring system for measuringthe amount of dissolved CO2 in natural waters. The system is based on theprinciple of a dynamic equilibrium between water and the air as the hostgas. The PCO2 measurements were carried out every four hours, and theequilibration time was around 20 minutes. Moreover, application to thethermal aquifer of Stromboli volcano during the 2009-2010 period is shownand analyzed. The data highlight a clear correlation between the changesin the PCO2 in the thermal aquifer and the changes in volcanic activity.