P. Bonfanti et al., MEDIUM-TERM ANOMALIES IN GROUNDWATER TEMPERATURE BEFORE 1991-1993 MT ETNA ERUPTION, Journal of volcanology and geothermal research, 73(3-4), 1996, pp. 303-308
In 1991, a hydrogeochemical surveillance program was set up on Mount E
tna, involving periodic measurement of several chemico-physical parame
ters in springs and wells along the eastern and southwestern flanks of
the volcano. Significant increases in the temperature of these waters
were observed some months before the 1991-1993 eruption. The energy r
esponsable for this heat anomaly represents less than 0.3% of the tota
l thermal energy released by the following eruption. The contribution
from thermal conductivity of the rocks is negligible. The ascent of th
e gases released from the magma determined the transfer of energy from
the magma to the aquifers of Etna. The energy that produced the therm
al anomaly in the groundwaters is one order of magnitude lesser than t
he minimum estimated energy transported by the gases released from the
erupted magma. Continuous monitoring of groundwater temperatures and
other parameters may not only predict eruptions in the future, but als
o permit an estimate of the volume of magma involved.