The Mefite in the Ansanto Valley (Southern Italy): a Geoarchaeosite to Promote the Geotourism and Geoconservation of the Irpinian Cultural Landscape

One-Year Seismic Survey of the Tectonic CO2-Rich Site of Mefite d’Ansanto (Southern Italy): Preliminary Insights in the Seismic Noise Wavefield

“…In the Mefite valley of the Irpinia region (southern Italy, Figure 1 and Figure 2 ), the existence of large and lethal CO 2 emissions has aroused interest since ancient times [ 1 ]. The Mefite gas emission site was mentioned by Mörner and Etiope [ 2 ] in a review paper on the worldwide non-volcanic CO 2 gas escaping from the upper mantle.…”

Profiling microbial communities in an extremely acidic environment influenced by a cold natural carbon dioxide spring: A study of the Mefite in Ansanto Valley, Southern Italy

“…The life‐threatening concentration of CO 2 , coupled with harmful levels of H 2 S, renders the innermost part of the Mefite almost devoid of life and potentially deadly. This has led to a millennia‐old cult in the valley, as documented by Santoli ( 1783 ), Chiodini ( 2014 ), and Sisto et al ( 2020 ). Nevertheless, preliminary evidence of microbial extremophile organisms has been observed in the mud pools within the valley, as reported in the literature (Albertano et al, 1991 ; Albertano et al, 1994 ; Pinto et al, 1992 ; Totàro‐Aloj, 1973 , 1974 ).…”

“…Three major mechanisms contribute to the formation of hyperacid environments: (1) the direct degassing of strong acids associated with magmatic activity in proximity of open conduit active volcanoes, often leading to the creation of hyperacidic volcanic lakes (Mapelli et al, 2015 ); (2) the biological oxidation of sulphide and other reduced sulphur species, which produces sulphuric acid as a byproduct (Colman et al, 2018 ), a key process in the development of hyperacid environments associated with geothermal systems, mine drainage, and the exposure of sulphide minerals to oxygen; and (3) the presence of high concentrations of CO 2 gases stemming from volcanic activity or other tectonic processes (Burton et al, 2013 ; Tamburello et al, 2018 ). The Mefite, located in the Ansanto Valley (southern Italy) is an example of the latter process given its extremely high concentrations of carbon dioxide along with the presence of non‐atmospheric nitrogen and hydrogen sulphide that are a consequence of tectonic processes (Chiodini et al, 2010 ), and it represents an exceptional site combining geology, archaeology, and biodiversity (Figure 1 ) (Sisto et al, 2020 ). Remarkably, Mefite represents one of the largest non‐volcanic gas emission areas, specifically a cold natural carbon dioxide spring, as depicted in Supplementary Video S1 by Di Iorio et al ( 2023 ), associated with sedimentary and tectonic phenomena (Chiodini et al, 2010 ; Pischiutta et al, 2013 ; Sisto et al, 2020 ).…”

“…The Mefite, located in the Ansanto Valley (southern Italy) is an example of the latter process given its extremely high concentrations of carbon dioxide along with the presence of non‐atmospheric nitrogen and hydrogen sulphide that are a consequence of tectonic processes (Chiodini et al, 2010 ), and it represents an exceptional site combining geology, archaeology, and biodiversity (Figure 1 ) (Sisto et al, 2020 ). Remarkably, Mefite represents one of the largest non‐volcanic gas emission areas, specifically a cold natural carbon dioxide spring, as depicted in Supplementary Video S1 by Di Iorio et al ( 2023 ), associated with sedimentary and tectonic phenomena (Chiodini et al, 2010 ; Pischiutta et al, 2013 ; Sisto et al, 2020 ). In addition, Mefite is a mofette with a long and storied history of activity, as noted by historical figures such as Cicero in 44 B.C.E.…”

The Valorisation of an Ancient Traditional Practice for the Promotion of Rural and Sustainable Tourism: The “Tracing of the Straight Furrow” in Central and Southern Italy

“…Slow and sustainable tourism, community-based tourism, human-centred tourism [2], but also geotourism (which in some of these areas shows promising signs of development and has locations of high cultural potential [3][4][5]), roots [6] or return tourism, and thus routes, walking, cycling, historical railways [7], greenways and sustainable mobility, recovery of the traditions and flavours of one's own land, typical food and wine itineraries for rural sustainability [8] are just some of the possible declinations of a tourist practice that starts from the local milieu [9,10], from the experience of places, from the recovery of traditions and historical memory, and aims at the exchange of knowledge, dialogue, intergenerational reciprocity and between different communities [11], but above all at renewing the use of territorial heritage as a resource [12,13]. The change of perspective sees the tourist/traveller of inland areas, no longer a mere user of resources, but a temporary citizen of the community [14] who wants to feel good in the community and who is good for the community as a value-generator.…”