The Carbon Dioxide Emission as Indicator of the Geothermal Heat Flow: Review of Local and Regional Applications with a Special Focus on Italy

Giovanni Chiodini, Carlo Cardellini, Giulio Bini, Francesco Frondini, Stefano Caliro, Lisa Ricci and Barbara Lucidi
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Giovanni Chiodini: Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Sezione di Bologna, Via D. Creti 12, 40128 Bologna, Italy
Carlo Cardellini: Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Sezione di Bologna, Via D. Creti 12, 40128 Bologna, Italy
Giulio Bini: Institute of Geochemistry and Petrology, ETH Zürich, Clausiusstrasse 25, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
Francesco Frondini: Dipartimento di Fisica e Geologia, Università di Perugia, Via Pascoli snc, 06123 Perugia, Italy
Stefano Caliro: Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Sezione di Napoli, Via Diocleziano 328, 80124 Napoli, Italy
Lisa Ricci: Dipartimento di Fisica e Geologia, Università di Perugia, Via Pascoli snc, 06123 Perugia, Italy
Barbara Lucidi: Dipartimento di Fisica e Geologia, Università di Perugia, Via Pascoli snc, 06123 Perugia, Italy

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 20, 1-15

Abstract: We review the methods based on the measurement of CO 2 emissions for the computation of geothermal heat flow, both at a local (hydrothermal sites, a few km 2 ) and regional scale (hundreds km 2 ). At the local scale, we present and discuss the cases of the Latera caldera and Torre Alfina (Italy) geothermal systems. At Torre Alfina and Latera, the convection process sustains a CO 2 emission of ~1 kg s −1 and ~4 kg s −1 , and heat flows of 46 MW and 130 MW, respectively. At the regional scale, we discuss the case of the central Apennine (Italy), where CO 2 mass and enthalpy balances of regional aquifers highlights a wide and strong thermal anomaly in an area of low conductive heat flow. Notably, the CO 2 /heat ratios computed for the central Apennines are very similar to those of the nearby geothermal systems of Latium and Tuscany, suggesting a common source of CO 2 -rich fluids ascribed to the Tyrrhenian mantle.

Keywords: carbon dioxide flux; heat flow; geothermal systems; central Apennines; convection (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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