CO2 release to the atmosphere from thermal springs of Sperchios Basin and northern Euboea (Greece): The contribution of “hidden” degassing

Abstract

Greece is a region characterised by intense geodynamic activity that favours the circulation of hydrothermal fluids in the crust transporting volatiles from either the deep crust or the mantle to the surface. Elevated heat flow values are detectable at Sperchios Basin and North Euboea (central Greece), two areas defined by a system of deeply rooted extensional faults and Quaternary volcanic activity. This setting contributed to the formation of numerous hydrothermal systems, which are mostly expressed as CO2-rich thermal springs with intense bubbling. The CO2 output from six bubbling pools has been determined by flux measurements with the use of the floating chamber method. The highest bubbling CO2 output has been found at Thermopyles and Psoroneria (0.6 and 0.84 t/d, respectively), where the outgoing channels have an elevated flow (>250 l/s) of gas-charged water (>15 mmol/l of CO2). Although no bubbling is noticed along the stream, the CO2 content decreases by an order of magnitude after few hundreds of metres, indicating an intense degassing from the water. Taking into account the water flow and the amount of CO2 lost to the atmosphere, the CO2 output of the outgoing channels is quantified in 12.5 t/d for Thermopyles and 9.23 t/d for Psoroneria. Output estimation has also been made for the other springs of the area. The diffuse CO2 release from the outgoing channels has always been higher respect to that of the visible bubbling, suggesting that most of the degassing is “hidden”. Furthermore, the loss of CO2 from the water has determined a shift in dissolved carbonate species as demonstrated by the pH increase along the channel that led eventually to an oversaturation in carbonate minerals and therefore travertine deposition. The total CO2 output to the atmosphere of the study area is estimated at ~27 t/d, with the major contribution deriving from the degassing along the outflow channels of the thermal springs. Such output is comparable to that of the single active volcanic systems along the South Aegean Active Volcanic Arc and highlights the importance of “hidden” degassing along CO2-oversaturated streams.