Gas blowout from shallow boreholes near Fiumicino International Airport (Rome): Gas origin and hazard assessment

Carapezza, Maria Luisa; Tarchini, Luca; Granieri, Domenico; Martelli, M.; Gattuso, Alessandro; Pagliuca, Nicola Mauro; Ranaldi, Massimo; Ricci, T.; Grassa, Fausto; Rizzo, Andrea Luca; Pizzino, L.; Sciarra, Alessandra

doi:10.1016/j.chemgeo.2015.04.022

Cited by 15 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…Also this eruption issued from a geotechnical borehole drilled to a depth of 31 m from the sea bottom. By contrast to the onshore eruptions from vent 1 and 2, the offshore emission was made by 59% of biogenic CH 4 and after an intial peak, gas flux quickly waned in only two days (Carapezza et al, 2015).…”

Section: Accepted Manuscriptmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Chemical and isotopic analyses of the 2013 Fiumicino gas emissions have been reported by Carapezza et al (2015). Emitted gas at onshore vents 1 and 2 consists mostly of CO 2 (97 vol.% on average) with minor N 2 (1.3-3.6 vol.%) and CH 4 (0.87-1.33 vol.%).…”

Section: Accepted Manuscriptmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…The first gas eruption started on August 24 th , re-opening a borehole (vent 1; Fig. 1 (Carapezza et al, 2015). A second gas eruption started on September 9 th just 5 metres away from the site of the first blowout, from another borehole (vent 2; iii) progressive dilution of the erupted mud; iv) change in eruption style according to the A C C E P T E D M A N U S C R I P T…”

Section: Chronology Of the August-december 2013 Eventsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Conditions for long-lasting gas eruptions: The 2013 event at Fiumicino International Airport (Rome, Italy)

Giordano

Carapezza

Monica

et al. 2016

Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research

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Section: Accepted Manuscriptmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Accepted Manuscriptmentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Chronology Of the August-december 2013 Eventsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Conditions for long-lasting gas eruptions: The 2013 event at Fiumicino International Airport (Rome, Italy)

Giordano

Carapezza

Monica

et al. 2016

Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research

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“…[] proposed a thermogenic origin for methane, whereas Carapezza et al . [] proposed a mixed microbial‐abiotic origin.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In this work, we report new gas‐geochemical, soil gas, and structural‐stratigraphic data that suggest the presence of a hybrid and tectonically active SHGS located in central Italy, within the Tiber River delta, near Rome. Over the past 10 years, due to the abundance of CO 2 in shallow ground that represents a risk for urbanization and construction projects in the small town of Fiumicino (adjacent to the Rome international airport), this area has been the subject of several studies [ Barberi et al ., ; Ciotoli et al ., ; Pio Sella et al ., ; Bigi et al ., ; Carapezza et al ., ]. The origin of CO 2 in surface manifestations in Fiumicino (gas eruptions following drilling, natural bubbling vents, and gas‐enriched soil) has been attributed to deep geothermal processes, likely including either crustal thermometamorphism or magma degassing [ Ciotoli et al ., ; Bigi et al ., ; Carapezza et al ., ], similar to those in adjacent volcanic areas within the Roman Comagmatic Province (RCP).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tiber delta CO₂‐CH₄ degassing: A possible hybrid, tectonically active Sediment‐Hosted Geothermal System near Rome

et al. 2016

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Fiumicino town in the Tiber River delta, near Rome International Airport (Italy), is historically affected by large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the ground and gas eruptions triggered by shallow drilling. While it is known that CO2 originates from carbonate thermometamorphism and/or mantle degassing, the origin of methane (CH4) associated with CO2 is uncertain and the outgassing spatial distribution is unknown. Combining isotope gas geochemistry, soil gas, and structural‐stratigraphic analyses, we provide evidence for a hybrid fluid source system, classifiable as Sediment‐Hosted Geothermal System (SHGS), where biotic CH4 from sedimentary rocks is carried by deep geothermic CO2 through active segments of a half‐graben. Molecular and isotopic composition of CH4 and concentration of heavier alkanes (ethane and propane), obtained from gas vents and soil gas throughout the delta area, reveal that thermogenic CH4 (up to 3.7 vol% in soil gas; δ13CCH4: −37 to −40‰ VPDB‐Vienna Peedee Belemnite, and δ2HCH4: −162 to −203‰ VSMOW ‐ Vienna Standard Mean Ocean Water in gas vents) prevails over possible microbial and abiotic components. The hydrocarbons likely result from known Meso‐Cenozoic petroleum systems of the Latium Tyrrhenian coast. Overmaturation of source rocks or molecular fractionation induced by gas migration are likely responsible for increased C1/C2+ ratios. CO2 and CH4 soil gas anomalies are scattered along NW‐SE and W‐E alignments, which, based on borehole, geomorphologic, and structural‐stratigraphic analyses, coincide with active faults of a half‐graben that seems to have controlled the recent evolution of the Tiber delta. This SHGS can be a source of considerable greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere and hazards for humans and buildings.

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Ascent velocity and dynamics of the Fiumicino mud eruption, Rome, Italy

Vona

Giordano

Benedetti

et al. 2015

Geophysical Research Letters

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In August 2013 drilling triggered the eruption of mud near the international airport of Fiumicino (Rome, Italy). We monitored the evolution of the eruption and collected samples for laboratory characterization of physicochemical and rheological properties. Over time, muds show a progressive dilution with water; the rheology is typical of pseudoplastic fluids, with a small yield stress that decreases as mud density decreases. The eruption, while not naturally triggered, shares several similarities with natural mud volcanoes, including mud componentry, grain‐size distribution, gas discharge, and mud rheology. We use the size of large ballistic fragments ejected from the vent along with mud rheology to compute a minimum ascent velocity of the mud. Computed values are consistent with in situ measurements of gas phase velocities, confirming that the stratigraphic record of mud eruptions can be quantitatively used to infer eruption history and ascent rates and hence to assess (or reassess) mud eruption hazards.

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Gas blowout from shallow boreholes near Fiumicino International Airport (Rome): Gas origin and hazard assessment

Cited by 15 publications

References 30 publications

Conditions for long-lasting gas eruptions: The 2013 event at Fiumicino International Airport (Rome, Italy)

Conditions for long-lasting gas eruptions: The 2013 event at Fiumicino International Airport (Rome, Italy)

Tiber delta CO₂‐CH₄ degassing: A possible hybrid, tectonically active Sediment‐Hosted Geothermal System near Rome

Ascent velocity and dynamics of the Fiumicino mud eruption, Rome, Italy

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Gas blowout from shallow boreholes near Fiumicino International Airport (Rome): Gas origin and hazard assessment

Cited by 15 publications

References 30 publications

Conditions for long-lasting gas eruptions: The 2013 event at Fiumicino International Airport (Rome, Italy)

Conditions for long-lasting gas eruptions: The 2013 event at Fiumicino International Airport (Rome, Italy)

Tiber delta CO2‐CH4 degassing: A possible hybrid, tectonically active Sediment‐Hosted Geothermal System near Rome

Ascent velocity and dynamics of the Fiumicino mud eruption, Rome, Italy

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Tiber delta CO₂‐CH₄ degassing: A possible hybrid, tectonically active Sediment‐Hosted Geothermal System near Rome