Livio Ruggiero

Tiber delta CO2-CH4 degassing: A possible hybrid, tectonically active Sediment-Hosted Geothermal System near Rome

Fiumicino town in the Tiber River delta, near Rome International Airport (Italy), is historically affected by large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the ground and gas eruptions triggered by shallow drilling. While it is known that CO2 originates from carbonate thermometamorphism and/or mantle degassing, the origin of methane (CH4) associated with CO2 is uncertain and the outgassing spatial distribution is unknown. Combining isotope gas geochemistry, soil gas, and structural-stratigraphic analyses, we provide evidence for a hybrid fluid source system, classifiable as Sediment-Hosted Geothermal System (SHGS), where biotic CH4 from sedimentary rocks is carried by deep geothermic CO2 through active segments of a half-graben. Molecular and isotopic composition of CH4 and concentration of heavier alkanes (ethane and propane), obtained from gas vents and soil gas throughout the delta area, reveal that thermogenic CH4 (up to 3.7 vol% in soil gas; δ13CCH4: −37 to −40‰ VPDB-Vienna Peedee Belemnite, and δ2HCH4: −162 to −203‰ VSMOW - Vienna Standard Mean Ocean Water in gas vents) prevails over possible microbial and abiotic components. The hydrocarbons likely result from known Meso-Cenozoic petroleum systems of the Latium Tyrrhenian coast. Overmaturation of source rocks or molecular fractionation induced by gas migration are likely responsible for increased C1/C2+ ratios. CO2 and CH4 soil gas anomalies are scattered along NW-SE and W-E alignments, which, based on borehole, geomorphologic, and structural-stratigraphic analyses, coincide with active faults of a half-graben that seems to have controlled the recent evolution of the Tiber delta. This SHGS can be a source of considerable greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere and hazards for humans and buildings.

Multidisciplinary Methodology Used to Detect and Evaluate the Occurrence of Methane During Tunnel Design and Excavation: An Example from Calabria (Southern Italy)

The occurrence of high volumes of methane during tunnelling operations is a critical safety factor that can influence the choice of different technical approaches for tunnel design and construction. Moreover, gas accumulation can be influenced by fluid migration along spatially focused preferential pathways (i.e. points along faults and fracture zones) that can result in highly variable gas concentrations along the tunnel trace. This paper proposes a methodological approach to minimise the risks, and costs, related to tunnel construction in rocks with potentially high methane concentrations. This approach combines soil gas geochemistry and structural geology surveys along and across the main faults and fracture systems that occur in the study area. The procedure is based on near-surface sampling and consists of a two-pronged approach: the measurement of fault zone gas emissions and their classification as barrier or conduit zones. Moreover, it is illustrated the importance of measuring a wide spectrum of different gas species, not just methane, for a more accurate interpretation of the geological, geochemical, and structural system. This is due to the potential for multiple gas origins, different gas associations, and various alteration and oxidation processes (e.g., CH4 oxidation into CO2) that can modify the geochemical signal along the flow path as gas migrates towards the surface.