Campi Flegrei Volcano Research Articles

Radon and water geochemistry at the active Campi Flegrei volcano (Italy): The role of pore-water phenomena

This study provides new 222Rn measurements performed by RAD7 on 31 thermal waters from the Campi Flegrei caldera, the active volcanic-geothermal field close to Naples (Southern Italy). Waters sampled between 2021 and 2023 are characterized for physical parameters, major ions geochemistry and radium content. Rn contents from Somma-Vesuvius, Ischia and Vulcano volcanoes, together with the river plain north to the Campi Flegrei, were obtained for comparison. The Campi Flegrei caldera reaches the highest Rn concentrations respect to the other sites, varying from 0.03 ± 0.02 to ca. 1887 ± 13 Bq/L, although mostly are below 60 Bq/L. We detect a steady-state condition of constant temperature, facies and radon activity that characterizes most sites, with only minor impacts from seasonalilty and Weigel's effects. Just a small fraction of 222Rn derives from its 226Ra parent in solution, while radon activity in local waters is mainly due to emanation from the radium-containing rock reservoir. Our dataset proofs that radon couples with temperature, sulfate and CO2 in relations to rock-leaching and pore-water phenomena that proceed in the reservoir as it warms up and degasses. Rn and CO2 are decoupled in deeply and timely equilibrated geothermal fluids.Two main end-members, i.e., a low radioactive cold diluted and the Rn-richest hypersaline water from the deep geothermal reservoir are recognized; seawater contamination and heating over 70 °C play a major role in radon decrease.Related radium contents, physical parameters and major ions geochemistry are also presented for a comparison with published data.

Lahar events in the last 2000 years from Vesuvius eruptions – Part 1: Distribution and impact on densely inhabited territory estimated from field data analysis

Abstract. Lahars represent some of the most dangerous phenomena in volcanic areas for their destructive power, causing dramatic changes in the landscape with no premonitory signs and impacting the population and infrastructure. In this regard, the Campanian Plain turns out to be very prone to the development of these phenomena, since the slopes of the Somma–Vesuvius and Campi Flegrei volcanoes, along with the Apennine reliefs, are mantled by pyroclastic deposits that can be easily remobilized, especially after intense and/or prolonged rainfall. This study focuses on the analysis of pyroclastic fall and flow deposits and of the syn- and post-eruptive lahar deposits related to two sub-Plinian eruptions of Vesuvius in 472 CE (Pollena) and 1631. To begin with, historical and field data from the existing literature and from hundreds of outcrops were collected and organized into a database, which was integrated with several new pieces of data. In particular, stratigraphic, sedimentological (facies analysis and laboratory), and archeological analyses were carried out, in addition to rock magnetic investigations and impact parameter calculations. The new data are also referenced to the finding of ash beds in more distal areas, which were included in new isopach maps for the two sub-Plinian eruptions. The results show that for both eruptions the distribution of the primary deposits is wider than previously known. A consequence of these results is that a wider areal impact should be expected in terms of civil protection, as the sub-Plinian scenario is the reference one for a future large eruption of Vesuvius. Such a distribution of the pyroclastic deposits directly affects the one of the lahar deposits, also because a significant remobilization took place during and after the studied eruptions, which involved distal phreatomagmatic ash. From these integrated analyses, it was possible to constrain the timing of the deposition and the kind of deposits remobilized (pyroclastic fall vs. flow), and it was possible to calculate the velocities and dynamic pressures of the lahars and ultimately infer the lahar transport and emplacement mechanisms. The multidisciplinary approach adopted in this work shows how it is crucial to assess the impact of lahars in densely populated areas even at distances of several to tens of kilometers from active volcanoes. This especially applies to large parts of the densely populated areas around Somma–Vesuvius up to the nearby Apennine valleys.

Historical vertical ground movements in the Campi Flegrei volcano: A new transect across the caldera rim

This research focuses on a geoarchaeological study of the coastal sector extending from Fusaro coastal lake to Punta Pennata Islet, located in the western peripheral area of Campi Flegrei Caldera (Gulf of Pozzuoli, Italy), to reconstruct relative sea-level (RSL) oscillations and related vertical ground movements which have occurred since the Roman period. Campi Flegrei Caldera is characterized by sudden vertical ground movements of volcano-tectonic origin (i.e. bradyseismic crisis) which strongly modified the coastal landscape during the Holocene. Despite this, the area has been densely inhabited since the Greek-Roman times, preserving numerous traces of its ancient splendor. Part of these findings can be interpreted as high- or low- precision sea-level markers, helping in the reconstruction of the RSL change history. By using a multi-technique approach made of both direct and indirect surveys, the latter performed at the key-site of Punta Pennata through the use of an unmanned surface vessel prototype (ARGO), we investigated different archaeological sites with a twofold purpose. We reconstructed the RSL change of the study area during the last 2.1 ka and, by comparing the RSL data with site-specific geophysical models, we demonstrated that during the considered period the area went through five different evolutive phases characterized by an alternation of prevailing uplift, stability, and subsidence of volcano-tectonic origin, bringing the RSL from −4 and +5 m MSL, up to its current elevation. Moreover, by comparing the RSL data with the present-day sea level, we observed a differential overall subsidence of almost 1-m between the inner and outer sectors of the caldera at Miseno Cape. This validated the presence of a fault, crossing the promontory in an NNW-SSE direction, previously mentioned by other authors. Moreover, the integration of our data and historic sources enabled reconstructing the palaeo-environmental scenario of this area during the 1st century BC.

Remote Sensing and Mineralogical Analyses: A First Application to the Highly Active Hydrothermal Discharge Area of Pisciarelli in the Campi Flegrei Volcanic Field (Italy)

This paper explored the relationship between acidic sulfate alteration, geostructural frameworks, and geomorphological changes that can be observed in active volcanic hydrothermal systems. The target area was Pisciarelli in the Campi Flegrei volcano, where diffuse acidic sulfate alteration and hydrothermal dynamics have been growing since 2012, causing a progressive deterioration of landscapes. Terrestrial Laser Scanner (TLS), photogrammetry of proximity survey, geological field work, mineralogical and geochemical analysis with Optical Microscopy (OM), electron microscopy, and energy dispersive micro-analysis (BSEM-EDS) and X-ray Powder Diffraction (XRPD) to characterize (and monitor) altered rock outcrops were repeatedly carried out in the area. We present the multi-temporal acquisition and analysis referring to Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) datasets (2014 survey) with 3D-point clouds obtained from the Structure for Motion (SfM) photogrammetry (2021 survey) with a high-resolution digital camera aimed at evaluating volumetric changes on the mostly damaged and altered fault scarp. For each survey, we obtained a vertical Digital Elevation Model (DEM) and a true color RGB orthomosaic that provided the setting of the area at the different times and its evolution through their comparison. Changing sites were examined in the field and characterized for mineralogical and geochemical purposes. The investigated slope lost up to about 4 m3 of deposits between 2014 and 2021, mostly related to hydrothermal alteration induced by gas emissions and meteoric infiltration. Our methodological approach appears promising to evaluate evolution and rock-fall susceptibility of solfataric terrains subjected to hydrothermal dynamics.

Evidence of Seismic-Related Liquefaction Processes within the Volcanic Record of the Campi Flegrei Caldera (Italy)

We report the occurrence of several sand liquefaction structures, such as sand dikes, in the stratigraphic record of the Campi Flegrei volcano, located both inside and outside the caldera. Five sites were analyzed within the caldera and two outside. The grain size analysis of the sand fillings indicates that these deposits are very fine-to-coarse sands generally poorly sorted. All of the granulometry curves fall within the field of the liquefiable, loose sediments. Frequently, dikes are characterized by two fillings: a rim showing poorly sorted finer sands and a core with extremely poorly sorted coarser sediments. We suggest that seismic-related liquefaction processes triggered the injection of these sand dikes during unrest episodes in the last 15 kyr. In particular, the sand dikes located outside the caldera, characterized by larger thicknesses and lengths, mark an important extensional episode, probably associated with the caldera formation during the Neapolitan Yellow Tuff eruption at 15 ka. Furthermore, liquefaction structures within the caldera are related to the seismic activity, probably occurring during the Agnano–Monte Spina caldera formation and the volcano-tectonic ground deformation, predating Epoch 3b (4.3 ka) and the Monte Nuovo (1538 CE) eruptions. This study highlights that these seismic-related liquefaction structures are common within the volcanic record of the Campi Flegrei, suggesting that the sand source can be both the widespread marine succession underlying the Epoch 3 deposits in the caldera central sector and the primary ash layers extensively present in the volcanic record.

Genomic Insight of Alicyclobacillus mali FL18 Isolated From an Arsenic-Rich Hot Spring.

Extreme environments are excellent places to find microorganisms capable of tolerating extreme temperature, pH, salinity pressure, and elevated concentration of heavy metals and other toxic compounds. In the last decades, extremophilic microorganisms have been extensively studied since they can be applied in several fields of biotechnology along with their enzymes. In this context, the characterization of heavy metal resistance determinants in thermophilic microorganisms is the starting point for the development of new biosystems and bioprocesses for environmental monitoring and remediation. This work focuses on the isolation and the genomic exploration of a new arsenic-tolerant microorganism, classified as Alicyclobacillus mali FL18. The bacterium was isolated from a hot mud pool of the solfataric terrains in Pisciarelli, a well-known hydrothermally active zone of the Campi Flegrei volcano near Naples in Italy. A. mali FL18 showed a good tolerance to arsenite (MIC value of 41 mM), as well as to other metals such as nickel (MIC 30 mM), cobalt, and mercury (MIC 3 mM and 17 μM, respectively). Signatures of arsenic resistance genes (one arsenate reductase, one arsenite methyltransferase, and several arsenite exporters) were found interspersed in the genome as well as several multidrug resistance efflux transporters that could be involved in the export of drugs and heavy metal ions. Moreover, the strain showed a high resistance to bacitracin and ciprofloxacin, suggesting that the extreme environment has positively selected multiple resistances to different toxic compounds. This work provides, for the first time, insights into the heavy metal tolerance and antibiotic susceptibility of an Alicyclobacillus strain and highlights its putative molecular determinants.

New virus isolates from Italian hydrothermal environments underscore the biogeographic pattern in archaeal virus communities.

Viruses of hyperthermophilic archaea represent one of the least understood parts of the virosphere, showing little genomic and morphological similarity to viruses of bacteria or eukaryotes. Here, we investigated virus diversity in the active sulfurous fields of the Campi Flegrei volcano in Pozzuoli, Italy. Virus-like particles displaying eight different morphotypes, including lemon-shaped, droplet-shaped and bottle-shaped virions, were observed and five new archaeal viruses proposed to belong to families Rudiviridae, Globuloviridae and Tristromaviridae were isolated and characterized. Two of these viruses infect neutrophilic hyperthermophiles of the genus Pyrobaculum, whereas the remaining three have rod-shaped virions typical of the family Rudiviridae and infect acidophilic hyperthermophiles belonging to three different genera of the order Sulfolobales, namely, Saccharolobus, Acidianus, and Metallosphaera. Notably, Metallosphaera rod-shaped virus 1 is the first rudivirus isolated on Metallosphaera species. Phylogenomic analysis of the newly isolated and previously sequenced rudiviruses revealed a clear biogeographic pattern, with all Italian rudiviruses forming a monophyletic clade, suggesting geographical structuring of virus communities in extreme geothermal environments. Analysis of the CRISPR spacers suggests that isolated rudiviruses have experienced recent host switching across the genus boundary, potentially to escape the targeting by CRISPR-Cas immunity systems. Finally, we propose a revised classification of the Rudiviridae family, with the establishment of six new genera. Collectively, our results further show that high-temperature continental hydrothermal systems harbor a highly diverse virome and shed light on the evolution of archaeal viruses.

Identification of a New Heavy-Metal-Resistant Strain of Geobacillus stearothermophilus Isolated from a Hydrothermally Active Volcanic Area in Southern Italy.

Microorganisms thriving in hot springs and hydrothermally active volcanic areas are dynamically involved in heavy-metal biogeochemical cycles; they have developed peculiar resistance systems to cope with such metals which nowadays can be considered among the most permanent and toxic pollutants for humans and the environment. For this reason, their exploitation is functional to unravel mechanisms of toxic-metal detoxification and to address bioremediation of heavy-metal pollution with eco-sustainable approaches. In this work, we isolated a novel strain of the thermophilic bacterium Geobacillus stearothermophilus from the solfataric mud pool in Pisciarelli, a well-known hydrothermally active zone of the Campi Flegrei volcano located near Naples in Italy, and characterized it by ribotyping, 16S rRNA sequencing and mass spectrometry analyses. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) toward several heavy-metal ions indicated that the novel G. stearothermophilus isolate is particularly resistant to some of them. Functional and morphological analyses suggest that it is endowed with metal resistance systems for arsenic and cadmium detoxification.

The acid sulfate zone and the mineral alteration styles of the Roman Puteoli (Neapolitan area, Italy): clues on fluid fracturing progression at the Campi Flegrei volcano

Abstract. Active fumarolic solfataric zones represent important structures of dormant volcanoes, but unlike emitted fluids, their mineralizations are omitted in the usual monitoring activity. This is the case of the Campi Flegrei caldera in Italy, among the most hazardous and best-monitored explosive volcanoes in the world, where the landscape of Puteoli is characterized by an acid sulfate alteration that has been active at least since Roman time. This paper provides temperature, mineralogical, textural, compositional and stable isotope data for those solfataric terrains sampled at the crater and Pisciarelli slope of the Solfatara volcano between 2013 and 2019. Temperatures vary between 40 and 95 ∘C. Minerals include alunite with grain sizes generally larger than 20 µm, alunogen, native sulfur, well-ordered kaolinite, and, common at Pisciarelli, pyrite, illite and NH4 sulfates. Sulfate terrains have higher contents of Ti, Ba, Au, As, Hg and Tl relative to their parent substrate. The Pisciarelli slope is anomalous in terms of the presence of NH4. δ34S values for sulfides and native S range between −3.00 ‰ and 0.49 ‰ and from −4.42 ‰ to 0.80 ‰, respectively. Sulfates show δ34S and δ18O values in the range of −2.78 ‰ to 2.09 ‰ and between 4.60 ‰ and 31.33 ‰, respectively. The style of mineralization and the stable isotope geochemistry do produce complex and not completely consistent classifications and genetic constraints. We merge our data with volcanological information, data from exploration drillings and geophysical results. With the conceptual model, we suggest a series of shallow and deep aquifers interconnected like “communicating vessels” through a main fault system that downthrows Solfatara with respect to Pisciarelli. Fluid outflow from the different discrete aquifers hosted in sediments – and possibly bearing organic imprints – is the main dataset that allows determination of the steam-heated environment with a supergene setting superimposed. Supergene conditions and high-sulfidation relicts, together with the narrow sulfate alteration zone buried under the youngest volcanic deposits, point to the existence of an evolving paleo-conduit. The data will contribute to monitoring and evaluating the volcanic hazards.

Deep Electrical Resistivity Tomography for a 3D picture of the most active sector of Campi Flegrei caldera

The central sector of the Campi Flegrei volcano, including the Solfatara maar and Pisciarelli fumarole field, is currently the most active area of the caldera as regards seismicity and gaseous emissions and it plays a significant role in the ongoing unrest. However, a general volcano-tectonic reconstruction of the entire sector is still missing. This work aims to depict, for the first time, the architecture of the area through the application of deep Electrical Resistivity Tomography. We reconstructed a three-dimensional resistivity model for the entire sector. Results provide useful elements to understand the present state of the system and the possible evolution of the volcanic activity and shed solid bases for any attempt to develop physical-mathematical models investigating the ongoing phenomena.

Investigating the topography effect in modeling of deformation field of CampiFlegrei volcano using the method of fundamental solution

Investigating the topography effect in modeling of deformation field of CampiFlegrei volcano using the method of fundamental solution

Thermal Energy Release Measurement with Thermal Camera: The Case of La Solfatara Volcano (Italy)

Quiescent volcanoes dissipate a large part of their thermal energy through hot soils and ground degassing mainly in restricted areas called Diffuse Degassing Structures. La Solfatara crater represents the main spot of thermal release for the Campi Flegrei volcano (Italy) despite its reduced dimensions with regards to the whole caldera. The purpose of this study was to develop a method to measure thermal energy release extrapolating it from the ground surface temperature. We used imaging from thermal cameras at short distances (1 m) to obtain a mapping of areas with thermal anomalies and a measure of their temperatures. We built a conceptual model of the energy release from the ground to atmosphere, which well fits the experimental data taken in the La Solfatara crater. Using our model and data, we could estimate the average heat flux in a portion of the crater as q a v g = 220 ± 40 W / m 2 , compatible with other measurements in literature.

How memory can reduce the vulnerability to disasters: the bradyseism of Pozzuoli in southern Italy

How does the memory of a traumatic event influence the behaviour of a population facing risks in the present? We address this question using as a case study the evacuation of rione Terra, in Pozzuoli, during the 1969–1972 unrest of the Campi Flegrei volcano in southern Italy. The volcano's only historic eruption occurred in 1538. Renewed unrest was recognised in early 1970 by uplift of the ground at about 7 cm a month in the vicinity of Pozzuoli. This was the first unrest for four centuries. Memories of the previous occasion had faded and so the community was not prepared for scientific concern of a possible eruption. Equally, the scientific community and local authorities were not prepared for managing an emergency. One consequence was the abrupt and forced evacuation of more than 500 homes from rione Terra, the historic core of Pozzuoli. The evacuees were permanently relocated, the rione was left empty and no eruption took place. This paper presents new eye-witness accounts of the 1970 evacuation and its repercussions. Evacuees have spoken out for the first time about their experiences. The results show how the sense of loss of a community has overwhelmed anxiety about an eruption. They partly reflect a nostalgia for the past and a lost way of life, but also a distrust of authority caused by the harsh nature of the evacuation, as well as a lack of warning and discussion about possible responses to the uplift. This perception encourages a reluctance to accept official instructions, impeding development of a risk-reduction strategy in a highly vulnerable territory. Since trust is essential for responding efficiently to volcanic emergencies, overcoming these views is crucial for enhancing the coping strategies of the populations at risk.

Sensitivity test and ensemble hazard assessment for tephra fallout at Campi Flegrei, Italy

We present the results of a statistical study on tephra dispersal in the case of a reactivation of the Campi Flegrei volcano. To represent the spectrum of possible eruptive sizes, four classes of eruptions were considered. Excluding the lava emission, three classes are explosive (Small, Medium, and Large) and can produce a significant quantity of volcanic ash. Hazard assessments were made through simulations of atmospheric dispersion of ash and lapilli, considering the full variability of winds and eruptive vents. The results are presented in form of conditional hazard curves given the occurrence of specific eruptive sizes, representative members of each size class, and then combined to quantify the conditional hazard given an eruption of any size. The main focus of this analysis was to constrain the epistemic uncertainty (i.e. associated with the level of scientific knowledge of phenomena), in order to provide unbiased hazard estimations. The epistemic uncertainty on the estimation of hazard curves was quantified, making use of scientifically acceptable alternatives to be aggregated in the final results. The choice of such alternative models was made after a comprehensive sensitivity analysis which considered different weather databases, alternative modelling of submarine eruptive vents and tephra total grain-size distributions (TGSD) with a different relative mass fraction of fine ash, and the effect of ash aggregation. The results showed that the dominant uncertainty is related to the combined effect of the uncertainty with regard to the fraction of fine particles with respect to the total mass and on how ash aggregation is modelled. The latter is particularly relevant in the case of magma-water interactions during explosive eruptive phases, when a large fraction of fine ash can form accretionary lapilli that might contribute significantly in increasing the tephra load in the proximal areas. The variability induced by the use of different meteorological databases and the selected approach to modelling offshore eruptions were relatively insignificant. The uncertainty arising from the alternative implementations, which would have been neglected in standard (Bayesian) quantifications, were finally quantified by ensemble modelling, and represented by hazard and probability maps produced at different confidence levels.

New ground-based lidar enables volcanic CO2 flux measurements.

There have been substantial advances in the ability to monitor the activity of hazardous volcanoes in recent decades. However, obtaining early warning of eruptions remains challenging, because the patterns and consequences of volcanic unrests are both complex and nonlinear. Measuring volcanic gases has long been a key aspect of volcano monitoring since these mobile fluids should reach the surface long before the magma. There has been considerable progress in methods for remote and in-situ gas sensing, but measuring the flux of volcanic CO2—the most reliable gas precursor to an eruption—has remained a challenge. Here we report on the first direct quantitative measurements of the volcanic CO2 flux using a newly designed differential absorption lidar (DIAL), which were performed at the restless Campi Flegrei volcano. We show that DIAL makes it possible to remotely obtain volcanic CO2 flux time series with a high temporal resolution (tens of minutes) and accuracy (<30%). The ability of this lidar to remotely sense volcanic CO2 represents a major step forward in volcano monitoring, and will contribute improved volcanic CO2 flux inventories. Our results also demonstrate the unusually strong degassing behavior of Campi Flegrei fumaroles in the current ongoing state of unrest.

Native sulfur, sulfates and sulfides from the active Campi Flegrei volcano (southern Italy): Genetic environments and degassing dynamics revealed by mineralogy and isotope geochemistry

We investigated sulfur-bearing minerals from the Campi Flegrei caldera, southern Italy, in relation to the increase of hydrothermal activity phenomena since 2006, aimed at providing insights into the volcanic system dynamics. Mineral encrustations and muds were sampled between 2013 and 2015 at the long-standing degassing crater of the Solfatara tuff cone and its recently restless north-eastern Pisciarelli slope. Deep-seated sulfides were further separated from two drill cores (AGIP's Mofete boreholes: 1500m and 2695m depth).The mineral assemblage and texture of sampled encrustations were determined by X-ray diffraction, optical and scanning electron microscopy and X-ray microanalysis by energy dispersive spectrometry. Native sulfur and alunite dominate among the newly formed mineral phases. Other minerals are mostly alunogen, and locally pickeringite, potassium alum, hematite and pyrite. Mereiterite and amarillite sporadically occur. The mud pools are rich in gypsum, potassium alum and pyrite. Quartz and argillic phases, locally with analcime, are dispersed in the outcropping rocks.δ34S values were determined for shallow subsurface native sulfur (−5.5 to 0.0‰) and alunite (−1.7 to −0.2‰), as well as for the deep-seated pyrite (3.3 to 7.4‰ in the depth range:1500–2695m). δ18O values were measured for shallow native alunite (4.2 to 7.0‰). Pisciarelli alunite was finally analyzed for its 87Sr/86Sr ratio and 143Nd/144Nd ratios (0.707517±6 and 0.512459±6, respectively).Textural and isotopic data constrain the genesis of alunite at the expense of K-feldspars through rock alteration by hydrothermal fluids. We suggest that the caldera is a low-sulfidation system hosting acid-sulfate deposits in its active degassing area. The acid-sulfate environment developed on an argillitic facies that thins outwards and is characteristic for steam-heated and magmatic-steam environments. These environments developed in relation to the fractured settings that facilitates the gas emissions from deeper levels and the meteoric infiltration from surface to depth. Newly determined δ34S data are lower than previously published values, suggesting a progressive decrease in the sulfur isotopic composition through time at least since 1956. The isotopic variation is associated with a lowering of the SO2/H2S ratio and the widening of the surface of CO2 degassing, in the absence of significant changes in the average CO2 flux values and in the carbon and helium isotope compositions. Native sulfur and sulfates move from sulfur isotope equilibrium to disequilibrium. We ascribe this transition to enhanced SO2 scrubbing due to a high rock permeability that facilitates a faster gas ascent rate in the shallow crust.

The geological CO2degassing history of a long-lived caldera

The majority of the ∼100 Holocene calderas on Earth host vigorously active hydrothermal systems, the heat and volatile budgets of which are sustained by degassing of deeply stored magma. Calderas may thus contribute a nontrivial, although poorly quantified, fraction of the global budget of magmatic volatiles such as CO2. Here we use original isotopic and petrological results from Campi Flegrei volcano, Italy, to propose that hydrothermal calcites are natural mineral archives for the magmatic CO2 that reacted with reservoir rocks during the geological history of a caldera. We show that Campi Flegrei calcites, identified in core samples extracted from 3-km-deep geothermal wells, formed at isotopic equilibrium with magmatic fluids having δ18OH2O of +8.7‰ to +12.7‰, and δ13CCO2 of ∼−1.5‰. This inferred fossil fluid composition is virtually identical to that of present-day fumaroles, demonstrating a stable carbon source during the caldera’s (<40 k.y.) history. We use the mass of calcites stored in the hydrothermal system to estimate that 12 Gt of magmatic CO2 reacted with the Campi Flegrei rocks during the caldera history; this corresponds to a time-averaged CO2 flux of ∼800 t d–1. This long-term CO2 flux, the first of its kind in the geological literature, is similar to the present-day soil CO2 degassing flux (1100 ± 200 t d–1). We conclude that the actual magmatic CO2 degassing flux from calderas may be severely underestimated if subsurface calcite precipitation is not taken into account.

Volcanic CO2 detection with a DFM/OPA-based lidar.

The DFM/OPA-based lidar BILLI was used to investigate the volcanic plume released by the hydrothermal vent of Pisciarelli, in the Campi Flegrei volcano. BILLI remotely measured CO2 concentrations in cross-sections of the near-vent plume using the differential absorption technique. To our knowledge, this is the first example of lidar-based measurement of volcanic CO2. The spatial resolution was 1.5m and the temporal resolution 20s.

Crystallization kinetics of alkali feldspars in cooling and decompression-induced crystallization experiments in trachytic melt

Cooling and decompression experiments have been carried out on trachytic melts in order to investigate crystallization kinetics of alkali feldspar, the effect of the degree of undercooling (ΔT = T liquidus − T experimental) and time on nucleation and crystal growth process. This experimental work gives us new data about crystallization kinetics of trachytic melts, and it that will be useful to better understand the natural system of Campi Flegrei volcanoes. Experiments have been conducted using cold seal pressure vessel apparatus, at pressure between 30 and 200 MPa, temperature between 750 and 855 °C, time between 7,200 and 57,600 s and redox condition close to the NNO +0.8 buffer. These conditions are ideal to reproducing pre- and syn-eruptive conditions of the Campi Flegrei volcanoes, where the “conditions” pertain to the complete range of pressures, temperatures and time at which the experiments were performed. Alkali feldspar is the main phase present in this trachyte, and its abundance can strongly vary with small changes in pressure, temperature and water content in the melt, implying appreciable variations in the textures and in the crystallization kinetics. The obtained results show that crystallization kinetics are strictly related to ΔT, time, final pressure, superheating (−ΔT) and water content in the melt. ΔT is the driving force of the crystallization, and it has a strong influence on nucleation and growth processes. In fact, the growth process dominates crystallization at small ΔT, whereas the nucleation dominates crystallization at large ΔT. Time also is an important variable during crystallization process, because long experiment durations involve more nucleation events of alkali feldspar than short experiment durations. This is an important aspect to understand magma evolution in the magma chamber and in the conduit, which in turn has strong effects on magma rheology.

Tephrostratigraphy and glass compositions of post-15 kyr Campi Flegrei eruptions: implications for eruption history and chronostratigraphic markers

Volcanic ash (tephra) erupted from the frequently active Campi Flegrei volcano forms layers in many palaeoenvironmental archives across Italy and the Mediterranean. Proximal deposits of 50 of the post-15 ka eruptions have been thoroughly sampled and analysed to produce a complete database of glass compositions (>1900 analyses) to aid identification of these units. The deposits of individual eruptions are compositionally diverse and this variability is often greater than that observed between different units. Many of the tephra units do not have a unique glass chemistry, with compositionally similar tephra often erupted over long periods of time (1000s years). Thus, glass chemistry alone is not enough to robustly correlate most of the tephra from Campi Flegrei, especially in the last 10 kyrs. In order to reliably correlate the eruption units it is important to take into account the stratigraphy, chronology, magnitude, and dispersal of the eruptions, which has been collated to aid identification. An updated chronology is also presented, which was constrained using Bayesian analysis (OxCal) of published radiocarbon dates and 40Ar/ 39Ar ages. All the data presented can be employed to help correlate post-15 ka tephra units preserved in archaeological and Holocene palaeoenvironmental archives. The new database of proximal glass compositions has been used to correlate proximal volcanic deposits through to distal tephra layers in the Lago di Monticchio record ( Wulf et al., 2004, 2008) and these correlations provide information on eruption stratigraphy and the tempo of volcanism at Campi Flegrei.