Baubron, J. C.

Preliminary baseline soil gas data collected in the summer and autumn of 2001 above the Phase 1A injection area of the EnCana Enhanced Oil Recovery project at the Weyburn oilfield in south Saskatchewan was presented at GHGT-6 in Kyoto. Data can now be presented for all three years of the study with conclusions, the predominant one being that the major controls on soil gas levels are seasonal and meteorological with no indications of leakage from depth. In the autumns of 2002 and 2003 further in situ monitoring of CO2, CO2 flux, O2, CH4, radon (222Rn) and thoron (220Rn) was carried out. Soil gas samples were also collected for laboratory analysis of helium, permanent gases, sulphur species and light hydrocarbons. All sampling was repeated over the same 360 point sampling grid and more detailed profiles for both follow-up years. Marked changes in CO2 levels (especially flux) for each of the three-year datasets indicate changes in surface conditions, rather than CO2 from a deeper source. The radon and thoron data was found to be similar for the three years but appears to vary in response to drift composition, and seasonal effects, rather than migration from a deep source. In 2003 further work was agreed in addition to the main grid and profile data. A control area was sampled for the same suite of gases, 10km to the northwest of the oil field. It included similar topography, land use and drift composition to the main sampling grid. There were 35 sample locations on a 7 x 5 point grid with 100m spacing and two additional sites. Early conclusions indicate that the soil gas results in the control area are very similar to those from the main grid, vindicating control site selection and further supporting a lack of deeply sourced CO2 over the injection area. Along with the control site, five zones of possible CO2 leakage were also surveyed and sampled. Two cross a river lineament that may be associated with deep faulting, two were abandoned oil well sites and one site overlays a deep salt dissolution feature. (Unfortunately CO2 flux and gamma measurements were not carried out at these sites.) A northeast/southwest trending lineament, just north of the main grid, was sampled along two profiles perpendicular to the feature, with an increased density of sampling over the feature. The feature generally followed an incised river valley and anomalous CO2 was only detected on the valley floor, where it would be expected as there was lush vegetation in this zone. There were no coincident anomalies for other gases. Soils around two abandoned wells were also sampled. A 16-site grid was surveyed around each well. One well had been completely abandoned and the other was suspended due to failed casing. Such boreholes represent possible points of weakness that may be routes for CO2 migration. The well with failed casing had weakly anomalous CO2 locally to the south, again unmatched for other gases. The fully abandoned well had background CO2 values. Two perpendicular profiles of 10 sites at 25m spacing were sampled for soil gas over the mapped centre of the dissolution feature. Background values were obtained. In 2003 two vertical profiles were performed both indicating an increase in CO2 to a depth maximum of 1.80m; this increase is matched by a corresponding decrease only in O2, indicating biological respiration. Radon concentration indicated no anomalies. Portable gamma spectrometric data was collected in 2003 over the west-centre area of the grid, the profiles and over the control grid. The composition of soils from both areas was found to be very similar.

Abstract Soil temperature and gas (CO2 concentration and flux) have been investigated at Merapi volcano (Indonesia) during two inter-eruptive periods (2002 and 2007). Precise imaging of the summit crater and the spatial pattern of diffuse degassing along a gas traverse on the southern slope are interpreted in terms of summit structure and major caldera organization. The summit area is characterized by decreasing CO2 concentrations with distance from the 1932 crater rim, down to atmospheric levels at the base of the terminal cone. Similar patterns are measured on any transect down the slopes of the cone. The spatial distribution of soil gas anomalies suggests that soil degassing is controlled by structures identified as concentric historical caldera rims (1932, 1872, and 1768), which have undergone severe hydrothermal self-sealing processes that dramatically lower the permeability and porosity of soils. Temperature and CO2 flux measurements in soils near the dome display heterogeneous distributions which are consistent with a fracture network identified by previous geophysical studies. These data support the idea that the summit is made of isolated and mobile blocks, whose boundaries are either sealed by depositional processes or

L’Unità Funzionale Vulcanologia e Geochimica della Sezione di Catania dell’INGV sta sviluppando una nuova tecnologia che permette il monitoraggio in continuo del Radon, un gas che cambia la sua concentrazione in dipendenza del flusso di gas dal suolo. Visto che il tasso di emissione di radon dal suolo è dipendente dalla dinamica sia del magma che delle faglie, si tratta di un parametro che ha una forte potenzialità per la sorveglianza dei vulcani. Per tale motivo l’INGV, nell’ambito della Convenzione 2004-2005 con il Dipartimento della Protezione Civile, ha finanziato un progetto mirato proprio allo sviluppo tecnologico e scientifico di questo tipo di ricerca (progetto V3_6/28 – Etna, coordinatori S. Gresta e P. Papale, resp. M. Neri), la cui prima fase è iniziata il 1° giugno 2005. Questa iniziale fase di lavoro si è concretizzata con l’installazione di una prima sonda tipo “barasol” per la misura continua dell’attività di radon nel suolo presso Torre del Filosofo. Una seconda sonda, acquistata con fondi della Sezione Roma 1 dell’INGV (resp. F. Quattrocchi), è stata installata nei pressi del piano di faglia della Pernicana (quota ~1500 m s.l.m.). Una terza sonda, acquistata con fondi della Sezione Catania dell’INGV, è stata installata nei pressi di Dagala. La presente nota descrive quest’ultima installazione.