Flow changes and geochemical anomalies in warm and cold springs associated with the 1992-1994 seismic sequence at Pollina, central Sicily, Italy

Abstract

During a three-year discontinuous geochemical monitoring of some warm springs and cold discharges located in central-northern Sicily, some hydro-geochemical changes were observed. Excluding a possible related to a moderate seismic activity were accidentally identified. The observed anomalies showed amplitudes that were modulated by the different geometries and volumes of the feeding aquifers. A poroelastic aquifer contraction, a shaking-induced dilatancy theory as well as seismogenetic-induced changes in the properties of the aquifers have been proposed as possible mechanisms for the water flow and hydro-geochemical changes. These preliminary results could be used to design a monitoring network aimed at surveilling the seismic activity of the studied area from a geochemical standpoint.