Accumulation chamber measurements of methane fluxes: application to volcanic-geothermal areas and landfills

Geochemistry of shallow aquifers and soil gas surveys in a feasibility study at the Rivara natural gas storage site (Po Plain, Northern Italy)

“…For example, by comparing 40 gas emissions present in the Tuscan Roman Degassing Structure, characterised by high gas flow rates (up to 360 t/day of CO 2 ) with a total gas flux higher than 1500 t/day (Chiodini et al, 2011), it can be noted that measured Rivara fluxes are not very high (289.70 t/day). Moreover, the comparison of the present CH 4 fluxes with those measured by Cardellini et al (2003) at Poggio dell'Olivo site (central Italy), reveals a very similar range of values (0.00-30.27 g/m 2 day and 0.004-47.71 g/m 2 day, respectively. Unfortunately, a comparison with CH 4 flux values measured in northern Italy is not possible, because different instruments, such as a gas chromatograph with a Flame Ionization Detector, and sampling density (76 points over 9000 km 2 ) have been used (e.g.…”

“…Such average values (<100 g/m 2 day) fit those estimated in other Italian sites (Chiodini et al, 1995(Chiodini et al, , 1998. No hints of deep degassing can be inferred for the study area, as in general has been observed in some DDS throughout Italy (Chiodini et al, 1995(Chiodini et al, , 1998(Chiodini et al, , 2008Chiodini and Frondini, 2001;Cardellini et al, 2003;Voltattorni et al, 2009;Quattrocchi et al, 2009Quattrocchi et al, , 2010Quattrocchi et al, , 2011. Neither a particular trend of /CO 2 enrichment, nor evident alignment of anomalies has been revealed during this survey, discounting any hypothesis of deeply-derived leakages in the area (Evans et al, 2001).…”

“…In the first phase of the work, CO 2 and CH 4 flux (UCO 2 , UCH 4 ) measurements have been carried out by the speed-portable ''closed dynamic'' accumulation chamber ''time 0'' method (Norman et al, 1992(Norman et al, , 1997Chiodini et al, 1995Chiodini et al, , 1998Chiodini et al, , 2000Rogie et al, 2000;Brombach et al, 2001;Cardellini et al, 2003) using a West System™ instrument. This instruments is equipped with two sensors, a pump, an alkaline battery, two pipes to connect the accumulation chamber to the instrument, and a mixing device that allows an optimal mixture of the gas inside the chamber to increase the measurement accuracy.…”

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in soil gases from Solfatara crater (Campi Flegrei, southern Italy): Geogenic source(s) vs. biogeochemical processes

“…1b). In this area, a significant diffuse emission of CH 4 and C 6 H 6 related to the geogenic fluid source was also measured (Cardellini et al, 2003a;Castaldi and Tedesco, 2005;Tassi et al, 2012b). The flux of gases emitted from the soil, whose total amount is comparable with that discharged from the fumaroles , is orders of magnitude lower than the fumarolic one.…”

Detecting and Measuring Gas Seepage

“…The technique was then applied to detect methane microseepage in petroliferous basins (Klusman et al 2000;LTE 2007) and coal mines (Thielemann et al 2000), and gas exhalations in geothermal or volcanic areas (e.g., Hernandez et al 1998;Etiope 1999;Cardellini et al 2003). A wide array of reports of chamber measurements for methane fluxes in mud volcanoes and other types of seeps are currently available (e.g., Etiope et al 2004a, b;2011a, b;2013;Hong et al 2013).…”