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Boatta, F.
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- PublicationRestrictedGeochemical survey of Levante Bay, Vulcano Island (Italy), a natural laboratory for the study of ocean acidification(2013-08)
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;Boatta, F.; Università di Palermo, Dip. DiSTeM ;D'Alessandro, W.; Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Sezione Palermo, Palermo, Italia ;Gagliano, A. L.; Università di Palermo, Dip. DiSTeM ;Liotta, M.; Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Sezione Palermo, Palermo, Italia ;Milazzo, M.; Università di Palermo, Dip. DiSTeM ;Rodolfo-Metalpa, R.; University of Plymouth, UK ;Hall-Spencer, J. M.; University of Plymouth, UK ;Parello, F.; Università di Palermo, Dip. DiSTeM; ; ; ; ; ; ; Shallow submarine gas vents in Levante Bay, Vulcano Island (Italy), emit around 3.6t CO2 per day providing a natural laboratory for the study of biogeochemical processes related to seabed CO2 leaks and ocean acidification. The main physico-chemical parameters (T, pH and Eh) were measured at more than 70 stations with 40 seawater samples were collected for chemical analyses. The main gas vent area had high concentrations of dissolved hydrothermal gases, low pH and negative redox values all of which returned to normal seawater values at distances of about 400 m from the main vents. Much of the bay around the vents is corrosive to calcium carbonate; the north shore has a gradient in seawater carbonate chemistry that is well suited to studies of the effects of long-term increases in CO2 levels. This shoreline lacks toxic compounds (such as H2S) and has a gradient in carbonate saturation states.477 124 - PublicationOpen AccessCHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF ATMOSPHERIC BULK DEPOSITION AT THE INDUSTRIAL AREA OF GELA (SICILY, ITALY)(Aristotele University of Thessaloniki, 2014-10-08)
; ; ; ; ;Boatta, F.; Università di Palermo, Dip. DiSTeM ;Calabrese, S.; Università di Palermo, Dip. DiSTeM ;D'Alessandro, W.; Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Sezione Palermo, Palermo, Italia ;Parello, F.; Università di Palermo, Dip. DiSTeM; ; ; ;; ; ; ; ; ;Voudouris, K.; Aristotele University, Thessaloniki, Greece ;Stamatis, G.; Hellenic Committee of Hydrogeology ;Mattas, C.; Aristotele University, Thessaloniki, Greece ;Kaklis, T.; Aristotele University, Thessaloniki, Greece ;Kazakis, N.; Aristotele University, Thessaloniki, Greece; ; ; ; Bulk deposition has been collected at six sampling sites in area of Gela plain (Italy) in the period from February 2008 to May 2009. Samples collected each two weeks were analysed for the major ion and trace elements content. Preliminary results allow identifying three different sources that control the abundance of the elements in atmospheric deposition: (1) sea spray, (2) geogenic dust, and (3) anthropogenic pollution. Due to the closeness of the coast, clear evidence of sea spray input is detectable for most of the samples. The high excess of non sea-salt sulphate (50 - 90% of the total) is prevailingly ascribable to the abundant SO2 emissions of the refinery. The pH values of the collected samples range from 4.2 to 8.6, with 80% of them above pH 6.5, indicating an extensive neutralization. This is due to NH3 coming from widespread agricultural activities in the plain of Gela, and geogenic CaCO3 either from local or from regional (desert dust) sources. Elevated levels of trace metals (Zn, V, Sb, Ni, Cr, Ni and Cu) can be observed in the samples collected close to the industrial area. All these elements can be identified as “anthropogenic” and attributed to the human activities, mainly to the industrial emissions, but a contribution could also derive from the intensive vehicular traffic.395 256 - PublicationOpen AccessAnother kind of “volcanic risk”: the acidification of sea-water. Vulcano Island (Italy) a natural laboratory for ocean acidification studies(INGV, 2012-12-12)
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;Boatta, F.; Università di Palermo, Dipartimento DiSTeM ;D'Alessandro, W.; Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Sezione Palermo, Palermo, Italia ;Gagliano, L.; Università di Palermo, Dipartimento DiSTeM ;Calabrese, S.; Università di Palermo, Dipartimento DiSTeM ;Liotta, M.; Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Sezione Palermo, Palermo, Italia ;Milazzo, M.; Università di Palermo, Dipartimento DiSTeM ;Parello, F.; Università di Palermo, Dipartimento DiSTeM; ; ; ; ; ; ;; ;Corsaro, R.A.; Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Sezione Catania, Catania, ItaliaAcidification of seawater is one of the aspect tightly linked to volcanic risk, due to the presence of submarine vents releasing abundant volcanic fluids. In aquatic system CO2 gas dissolves, hydrates and dissociates to form weak carbonic acid, which is the main driver of natural weathering reactions [Drever, 1997]. The result of the CO2 increase is seawater acidification. Vulcano Island, the southernmost of Aeolian Islands, is located in the Southern Tyrrhenian Sea (Italy), approximately 18 miles off the NE coast of Sicily. The Baia di Levante can be considered a natural laboratory where almost all of the biogeochemical processes related to the ocean acidification can be studied. In this area many submarine vents release CO2. Four geochemical surveys of the Bay were carried out in April - September 2011 and May - June 2012. The main physic-chemical parameters (T, pH, Eh, electric conductivity) were measured at more than 70 sites and more than 40 samples for chemical analyses were collected at representative points. Major (Na, K, Mg, Ca, Cl, SO4) and some minor components (B, Sr, Fe) and trace elements (Mn, Mo, Al, U, Ce, Pb, Tm, Tb, Nd, Th) dissolved in water, the chemical composition of dissolved gases (He, H2, O2, N2, CH4 and CO2) and the isotopic composition of total dissolved inorganic carbon were determined in the laboratory. The bubbling CO2 produces a strong decrease in pH from the normal seawater value of 8.2 down to 5.5 (Figure 1). In the area close to the main degassing vents, characterized by very low pH, macroorganisms were absent. Acidification of sea water is one of the aspect tightly linked to volcanic risk, due to the presence of submarine vents releasing abundant volcanic fluids. At Baia di Levante, about 300 m from the main vents the seawater is only slightly acidic (pH 6.5 - 7.0) resembling the ocean water conditions in equilibrium with the high atmospheric CO2 concentrations expected in the near future. Therefore environments like this, naturally enriched in CO2, are good laboratories to study the consequences of ocean acidification on aquatic biota [Doney et al., 2009]. Furthermore acidification is tightly linked with the mobility and bio-availability of heavy metals [Millero et al., 2009] in sea water and volcanoes were always the favourite choice for human settlements; as a consequence economic anthropological activity, such as fishing, could be dangerous for human health, because of the presence toxic level of trace metals in the food chain due to the presence of the volcano’s. The present study could provide important information about the best environmental management of volcanic areas such as Vulcano Island491 236