Assessment of the Geochemical Potential in a Complex Tectonic Environment of South-East Sicily: New Insights From Hydrochemical Data

Gloria Maria Ristuccia,Salvatore Giammanco,Pietro Bonfanti,Giuseppe Stella

doi:10.3389/feart.2019.00088

Gloria Maria Ristuccia, Salvatore Giammanco + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2019.00088

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Abstract

We analyzed a large dataset (143 water sampling sites, 22 variables) of chemical parameters in local groundwaters from the south-east sector of Sicily, namely the Hyblean plateau, in order to set an original evaluation of its geothermal potential using applied geochemistry. The area was affected by volcanism until about 1.4 Ma. Today, though no active volcanism occurs, it is site of surface gas manifestations of focused degassing to which a mantle source has been attributed. We identified and thence selected the most promising sites (water springs and wells) based both on their main geochemical characteristics and on their calculated equilibrium temperature (resulting in the range between 50 and 140 °C). We then applied Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to this restricted dataset and we were able to discriminate between different sources of solutes, both natural and anthropogenic. Finally, we mapped the factor scores obtained from PCA and we focused on those likely related with geothermal conditions in order to highlight the areas with the highest geothermal potential.

Highlights

Geothermics is a clean and sustainable source of energy, as geothermal power plants involve no combustion, unlike classic thermal power plants, and they emit very low levels of greenhouse gasses
Geochemical Potential of SE-Sicily From Hydrochemistry south-eastern sector of Sicily, where volcanism has been active until middle Pleistocene and strong earthquakes have periodically occurred in historical times (Barberi et al, 1974; Dall’Aglio et al, 1995)
This study represents the first attempt to use a large dataset of chemical parameters in groundwaters from the Hyblean area in SE Sicily for the assessment of the local geothermal potential

Summary

Introduction

Geothermics is a clean and sustainable source of energy, as geothermal power plants involve no combustion, unlike classic thermal power plants, and they emit very low levels of greenhouse gasses. Geochemical Potential of SE-Sicily From Hydrochemistry south-eastern sector of Sicily, where volcanism has been active until middle Pleistocene and strong earthquakes have periodically occurred in historical times (Barberi et al, 1974; Dall’Aglio et al, 1995) This sector of Sicily is today affected by several zones with focused gas emissions, diffuse degassing anomalies and thermal springs, in general associated with deep regional faults (Bonfanti et al, 1993; De Gregorio et al, 2002; Grassa, 2002; Grassa et al, 2006; Giammanco et al, 2007). The origin of the gases in the most intense emission points was found to be mantle (Bonfanti et al, 1993; Dall’Aglio et al, 1995; De Gregorio et al, 2002; Grassa, 2002; Giammanco et al, 2007)

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