The Mediterranean Sea is a geologically young area with structures tectonically active, where the emissions from numerous volcanic activities are influencing the ecosystem. Moreover, the volcanic ashes and the gases emissions are troubling also for the human health, causing problems going from cancers until the people deaths at very high concentrations. The goal of the measurements cruise campaign "Minerva 2017", organized by the Institute of Atmospheric Pollution of the National Research Council (CNR-IIA), was to investigate in a unique expedition the natural influence of several active volcanoes present in the Mediterranean Sea. The route of the campaign, which was performed aboard the Research Vessel "Minerva Uno" during the summer of 2017 (18th of August to 7th of September), included some marine sampling stations near to volcanoes, as well as, the Mount Etna (Sicily, South Italy), Stromboli and Vulcano belonging to the volcanic archipelago of the Aeolian Islands (Italy), and near to the Solfataras of the Phlegraean Fields (near to Naples, Italy). During the campaign, the Particulate Matter was sampled as Total Particulate Matter (TPM) and into two different size fractions, PM2.5 and PM10, collecting them on quartz filters through the Echo PM - Instruments (Tecora). The filters had been conditioned at 50% RH and 25°C for 24 hours before and after sampling, hence the gravimetric mass was deduced. The mean values recorded for PM2.5, PM10, and TPM, were respectively 11.4 ± 3.1 ?g m-3, 17.5 ± 5.1 ?g m-3, 21.6 ± 5.7 ?g m-3. Moreover, the measurements of radioactivity were performed by the SM200 AB (OPSIS) which, by the beta mass technique, provided the information about the beta-emitter radon daughters. The radon, a natural gas released by the crustal surface and magmas, has been considered like a geochemical tracer indicating that the source of the monitored air masses were the volcano and/or the land. This cruise campaign has been also useful to perform preliminary studies on the possibility to include in our research measurements, in samples of air and marine water, of radon concentration of activity as a function of various marine, geological and environmental parameters. Furthermore, to better establish the volcanic source, the behavior of chemical gases (O3, NOx, and SO2) and meteorological parameters had been jointly discussed, highlighting the SO2 which, among the others, represents a marker for volcanoes.
The atmospheric impact of volcanic activities in the Mediterranean Sea investigated during a measurements cruise campaign
Jessica Castagna;Mariantonia Bencardino;Francesco D'Amore;Giulio Esposito;Valentino Mannarino;Sacha Moretti;Attilio Naccarato;Antonella Tassone;Francesca Sprovieri;Nicola Pirrone
2018
Abstract
The Mediterranean Sea is a geologically young area with structures tectonically active, where the emissions from numerous volcanic activities are influencing the ecosystem. Moreover, the volcanic ashes and the gases emissions are troubling also for the human health, causing problems going from cancers until the people deaths at very high concentrations. The goal of the measurements cruise campaign "Minerva 2017", organized by the Institute of Atmospheric Pollution of the National Research Council (CNR-IIA), was to investigate in a unique expedition the natural influence of several active volcanoes present in the Mediterranean Sea. The route of the campaign, which was performed aboard the Research Vessel "Minerva Uno" during the summer of 2017 (18th of August to 7th of September), included some marine sampling stations near to volcanoes, as well as, the Mount Etna (Sicily, South Italy), Stromboli and Vulcano belonging to the volcanic archipelago of the Aeolian Islands (Italy), and near to the Solfataras of the Phlegraean Fields (near to Naples, Italy). During the campaign, the Particulate Matter was sampled as Total Particulate Matter (TPM) and into two different size fractions, PM2.5 and PM10, collecting them on quartz filters through the Echo PM - Instruments (Tecora). The filters had been conditioned at 50% RH and 25°C for 24 hours before and after sampling, hence the gravimetric mass was deduced. The mean values recorded for PM2.5, PM10, and TPM, were respectively 11.4 ± 3.1 ?g m-3, 17.5 ± 5.1 ?g m-3, 21.6 ± 5.7 ?g m-3. Moreover, the measurements of radioactivity were performed by the SM200 AB (OPSIS) which, by the beta mass technique, provided the information about the beta-emitter radon daughters. The radon, a natural gas released by the crustal surface and magmas, has been considered like a geochemical tracer indicating that the source of the monitored air masses were the volcano and/or the land. This cruise campaign has been also useful to perform preliminary studies on the possibility to include in our research measurements, in samples of air and marine water, of radon concentration of activity as a function of various marine, geological and environmental parameters. Furthermore, to better establish the volcanic source, the behavior of chemical gases (O3, NOx, and SO2) and meteorological parameters had been jointly discussed, highlighting the SO2 which, among the others, represents a marker for volcanoes.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
