Geochemical Characterization of Geothermal Systems: Multidisciplinary Approaches to Define Source Processes, Evolution and Environmental Issues

Dear Colleagues,

The main scope of this Special Issue of Geosciences is the exploration and evaluation of both innovative and long-validated approaches to the geochemical characterization of geothermal areas.

Drilling is the only direct method to access the subsurface features of a given system (and its physical state), but various techniques have been developed to investigate the targeted reservoir before drilling. The most commonly used methods for investigating high, medium and low enthalpy geothermal systems are geological field observations, structural geology, geophysical methods and geochemical characterization of fluids and gases. The latter allows detailed broad-spectrum information to be obtained at a relatively low cost. This is useful for preliminary reconstruction of the geothermal conceptual model and represents the starting point for its efficient exploitation and adequate management.

Specifically, this Special Issue aims to provide an outlet for the dissemination of peer-reviewed studies utilizing multidisciplinary geochemical approaches to study water and gas geochemistry, isotopic compositions, geothermobarometric funtions and both classical and geostatistical elaboration of major and trace constituents (including toxic elements such as Cr, Ni, As, Cd and Hg).

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following areas:

• Hydrogeochemical characterization: sampling technics of water and gas, new and/or standard analytical methods for trace elements (including mercury and other toxic elements) and elaboration approaches;
• Mercury biogeochemical survey of geothermal areas in populated and remote sites;
• Geostatistical analisys;
• Geothermometric and geobarometric approaches: chemical and isotopic geothermometers and geochemical modelling;
• Stable and radioactive isotope studies;
• Environmental issues/impacts (also due to harmful levels of trace elements) linked to geothermal systems exploitation and management;
• Geochemical modeling;
• Geothermal source-specific on long and short term air pollution level (gaseous and particulate emission).

Dr. Giovanni Vespasiano
Dr. Massimiliano Vardè
Dr. Carmine Apollaro
Guest Editors

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