The study of gas exchanges at the soil-atmosphere and water-atmosphere interfaces allows us to understand various processes that occur both on the surface and underground, from endogenous gas emissions in volcanic and geothermal areas to carbon fluxes induced by vegetation and microbial activity in natural and cultivated soils, lakes, and landfills.
The Laboratory
The Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources has developed and applied measurement techniques in all these fields of investigation, beginning in the 1980s with applications to emissions from volcanic and geothermal areas, and subsequently to landfill and lake gas emissions, developing measurement instruments and applying statistical, geostatistical, and analytical techniques.
In recent years, IGG-CNR researchers have applied the non-stationary accumulation chamber technique to the measurement of gas flux exchange in the Alpine and Arctic tundra, further refining the measurement protocol and analytical technique for low-flux emissions and updating the instrumentation.
Current research topics focus on:
- the characterization of geothermal and volcanic areas;
- the evolution of biochemical decomposition of waste for waste management, the reconstruction of the kinetic parameters of decomposition processes and the estimation of total greenhouse gas emissions;
- the influence of biotic and abiotic variables on the biogeochemical evolution of alpine meadows and arctic tundra under climatic and anthropogenic pressures.
Instruments
The laboratory is equipped with portable flowmeters for the detection of CO2, CH4, H2O, H2S, VOCs, field instrumentation for the measurement of meteorological parameters (air and soil temperature, solar radiation, relative air humidity, soil humidity, air pressure), and equipment for sampling interstitial gases.
The laboratory is also equipped with instrumentation for the calibration of flow measurement systems and is engaged in the development of new analytical methods for sampling gases in complex matrices and at very low concentrations.
In detail, the available tools are:
- Two flowmeters equipped with sensors for the determination of CO2/H2O (LI-COR LI-840 CO2/H2O Gas Analyser), CH4 (TDLAS-IR), H2S (electrochemical cell) and VOC (PID);
- A number of accumulation chambers of different volumes and shapes made of polycarbonate or methacrylate (for net ecosystem exchange), and steel (for ecosystem respiration, emissions from volcanic-geothermal areas, lakes, landfills);
- Two meteorological stations equipped with radiometer and thermohygrometer;
- Soil sensors to measure soil temperature and relative humidity.
Furthermore, for the study of alpine meadows, an Eddy Covariance tower (in 2019) and two automated flow chambers (in 2021) were installed at Col del Nivolet, (Gran Paradiso National Park, Western Italian Alps) at 2700 m asl.
To study the Arctic tundra, an Eddy Covariance tower was installed in the Bayelva Basin near the Ny Alesund research station, Svalbard (NO).
The Eddy Covariance stations are both equipped with a Licor sensor for measuring CO2/H2O , a 3D sonic anemometer, sensors for air temperature, pressure, and relative humidity, and a sensor for photosynthetically active radiation (PAR). The Gran Paradiso NP station is also equipped with a rain gauge and is part of the ICOS network (station ID: IT-Niv).
As part of the PON-GRINT project, IGG-CNR began studying the CZ in an active volcanic environment, installing two automatic flow chambers on Mount Etna in 2021 (Piano Bello area, Milo, 1200 m above sea level). Temperature, atmospheric pressure, soil temperature, soil moisture, and soil electrical conductivity data are also being recorded. A weather-climate station with a radiometer and thermohygrometer will also be added.
In April 2022, an Eddy Covariance tower will also be installed on Etna, again in the Piano Bello area.
Staff and Contacts
Ilaria Baneschi, Ph. D., Technologist;
Maurizio Catania, Ph. D., Technician;
Mariasilvia Giamberini, M. Sc., (Laboratory Head);
Matteo Lelli, Ph. D., Researcher;
Marta Magnani, Ph. D., Research Fellow;
Maddalena Pennisi, Ph.D, Senior Researcher;
Antonello Provenzale, Ph. D., Associato di Ricerca
Brunella Raco, Ph. D., Researcher;
Gianna Vivaldo, Ph.D., Researcher (Referent Eddy Covariance)
Contacts
Mariasilvia Giamberini
phone: +393494947529
E-mail:mariasilvia.giamberini(at)igg.cnr.it
Skype: silvia.giamberini
Methods and Applications
The “accumulation chamber method”, also commonly called the “flux chamber method”, is a widely used method for measuring gas fluxes between the ground and the atmosphere.
The method is based on measuring the change in concentration of the target gas (in this case, CO2, CH4, H2S, VOC and/or water) in a small chamber connected to an infrared spectrophotometer (IRGA) or a conductivity cell for H2S.
The main features of this method are its relatively low cost, portability, the possibility of assessing spatial variability and, for vegetation, of performing direct measurements of net ecosystem exchange (NEE) (in daylight), and respiration measurements (using a darkroom) during the day.
Several different configurations of the measuring device, and of the chamber in particular, have been developed by our laboratory to measure soil-atmosphere gas exchanges by the accumulation chamber method (Parkinson, 1981; Norman, 1997; Pumpanen, 2004).
The first technique for measuring soil respiration was the static accumulation chamber technique; the amount of CO2 emitted was absorbed by a sorbent solution placed inside the chamber. In this case, the sorbent (usually lime) is analyzed when the container is placed on the ground and after a certain period of time. Nowadays, the determination of CO2 emitted by lime absorption has mostly been replaced by on-site analysis with an infrared gas analyzer (IRGA), as these detection instruments have become portable, reliable, and commercially available (Janssens and Ceulemans, 1998). The absorption technique is still sometimes used today because it is inexpensive and highly accurate.
Modern closed dynamic systems recycle air from the chamber to the analyzer and vice versa, continuously measuring the concentration within the chamber. The portability and short measurement times of closed dynamic chambers allow measurements to be made at a large number of points within a large area in a relatively short time (a few hours), and thus estimate the heterogeneity of fluxes across the area. Most commercial systems today are based on the closed dynamic chamber technique (LI-COR, PPsystems, ADC), in which the chamber isolates a portion of the air above the measurement point by sealing the soil (usually using a collar) so that only flow exchanges between the soil/vegetation and the air inside the chamber can occur, and air cannot flow from inside to outside the chamber and vice versa. A small air sample is continuously pumped to the IR gas analyzer and then recycled within the chamber. In the case of respiration measurements, when the target gas is emitted from the soil/vegetation, the concentration inside the chamber increases over time until it reaches saturation when the diffusion gradient becomes zero. Analyzing the concentration curve (calculating the derivative of the curve for t->0) allows us to calculate the gas flux, which is obtained by solving the differential equation (here for CO2, but the same equation applies to other fluxes):
Where Hc is the height of the chamber, CO2(t) is the concentration of CO2 inside the chamber at time t, and CO2(soil) is the concentration of CO2 in the soil gas, assumed to be constant. The solution to the differential equation leads to:
As shown by Chiodini et al. (Chiodini, 1998), the gas concentration inside the chamber is measured over time. The following assumptions are used for the numerical simulation of the measurement system:
- Inside the accumulation chamber the mixing is complete;
- The pressure inside the accumulation chamber is constant. This is ensured by the capillary tube at the top of the chamber;
- The gas, transported by a small pump, circulates between the accumulation chamber and the IRGA without altering the concentration inside the chamber.
- The system is isothermal.
In practice, gas flux can be calculated as the slope (derivative) of the linear regression line (for low flux values) or as the slope of the linear regression on the initial part of the curve (for high flux values) of the variation of CO2 concentration over time inside the chamber, multiplied by the chamber height. In our laboratory, once the slope of the linear regression is calculated, we use a calibration curve to relate it to the measured flux, in order to correct for any experimental deviations from the theoretical calculation. A similar solution can be derived for NEE measurements when gross primary production (GPP) prevails over respiration.
This method can provide soil flux measurements independently of soil characteristics and flow regime knowledge, and does not require any empirical coefficients that account for soil characteristics to convert the measured concentration gradient into a flux. Furthermore, it is much faster than other methods based on accumulation chambers, and the instrumentation is quite practical and easy to use.
While measuring gas fluxes, other variables such as time of day, GPS location, soil and air temperature, soil moisture content, and solar irradiance can be measured simultaneously.
The figure below shows how field measurements are performed.
Bibliografia:
Chiodini G., Cioni R., Guidi M., Marini L., Raco B. (1998) Soil CO2 flux measurements in volcanic and geothermal areas, Applied Geochemistry, 13, 543-552.
Haber W. (1958). Ökologische Untersuchungen der Bodenatmung. Flora 146:109–157
Ivan A. Janssens, S. Têtè Barigah, Reinhart Ceulemans (1998). Soil CO2 efflux rates in different tropical vegetation types in French Guiana. Annales des sciences forestières, INRA/EDP Sciences, 1998, 55 (6), pp.671-680.
J. M. Norman et al. (1997). A comparison of six methods for measuring soil-surface carbon dioxide fluxes, Journal of Geophysical Research, vol. 102, n.. D24, pages 28,771-28,777, december 26, 1997.
Parkinson K.J. (1981). An improved method for measuring soil respiration in the field, J. Appl. Ecology, 18, 221-228.
Jukka Pumpanen et al. (2004). Comparison of different chamber techniques for measuring soil CO2 efflux, Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 123 (2004) 159–176.
Scientific Projects and Interests
- eLTER plus (INFRAIA-01-2018-2019 – HORIZON 2020; 2020 – 2025): elter-ri.eu/elter-plus
- E-shape (EU Horizon 2020; 2019-2021): e-shape.eu
- Earth Critical Zone of Alpine Grasslands (2017 ad oggi);
- Earth Critical Zone of Arctic tundra (ECZ@Bayelva – 2018- to date): https://www.researchinsvalbard.no/project/9130
- Geco– Geothermal Emission Control – (EU Horizon 2020): https://geco-h2020.eu/
- GEMEx-Cooperation in Geothermal energy research Europe-Mexico for development of Enhanced Geothermal Systems and Superhot Geothermal Systems (2016-2019);
- ECOPOTENTIAL (EU Horizon 2020; 2015-2019): www.ecopotential-project.eu
- Socompa project (2018): Il progetto ha studiato la distribuzione spaziale delle emissioni di CO2 dal suolo nell’area del vulcano di Socompa;
- Project of Interest NextData (2013-2018); Project “CO2 funded by the “DCO Deep Carbon Degassing (DECADE) initiative”, Carnegie Institution of Washington (2014-2015).
- ERMAS Project – Monitoring and Reduction of Landfill Biogas Emissions (2004-2005 – Regional Funds)
- TRIAL MAX Project – Real-time Transfer of Biogas Emission Data from Landfills (2006-2007 – Regional Funds)
- Since 2001, more than 10 monitoring and investigation projects involving the spatial and temporal quantification of CO2 and CH4 gas emissions from landfill covers have been funded at IGG-CNR by waste management facilities, environmental engineering and consulting firms, and technology transfer companies. These projects aimed to optimize landfill gas collection and energy production, assess compliance with environmental legislation, investigate contamination pathways, and remediate landfill covers.
- "PON-GRINT" Project (2021 – active) – Measurement of CO2 fluxes in the soil in the Etna Critical Zone using two fixed and automatic accumulation chambers. Temperature, atmospheric pressure, soil temperature, soil moisture, and soil electrical conductivity data will also be recorded. A weather and climate station with a radiometer and thermohygrometer will also be installed.
Publications
We report a selection of publications in journals, books or conference proceedings, divided by topic:
Bio-geochemical flows
Journal publications:
Balzani, P., Masoni, A., Venturi, S., Frizzi, F., Bambi, M., Fani, R., Nisi, B., Tassi, F., Vaselli, O., Zaccaroni, M., Santini G. 2022. CO2 biogeochemical investigation and microbial characterization of red wood ant mounds in a Southern Europe montane forest. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2021.108536.
Marta Magnani, Ilaria Baneschi, Mariasilvia Giamberini, Brunella Raco, Antonello Provenzale, Microscale drivers of summer CO2 fluxes in the Svalbard High Arctic tundra, Scientific Reports, 12, 763 (2022); www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-04728-0;
Marta Magnani, Ilaria Baneschi, Mariasilvia Giamberini, Pietro Mosca, Brunella Raco, Antonello Provenzale: Drivers of carbon fluxes in Alpine tundra: a comparison of three empirical model approaches; Science of the Total Environment 732 (2020) 139139. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139139.
Proceedings a conferenze internazionali:
Mariasilvia Giamberini, Ilaria Baneschi, Marta Magnani, Gianna Vivaldo, Antonello Provenzale, Arnon Karnieli, Antonio Monteiro, Manuel Salvoldi: “From Space down to the Tundra”, 3rd Svalbard Science Conference, Oslo, 2-3 Nov 2021: https://forskningsradet.pameldingssystem.no/auto/43/SSC2021%20-%20Book%20of%20abstracts_last%20version.pdf
Mariasilvia Giamberini, Ilaria Baneschi, Marta Magnani, Gianna Vivaldo, Antonello Provenzale: “Critical Zone in Critical Environments”, 3rd Svalbard Science Conference, Oslo, 2-3 Nov 2021: https://forskningsradet.pameldingssystem.no/auto/43/SSC2021%20-%20Book%20of%20abstracts_last%20version.pdf
Gianna Vivaldo, Marta Magnani, Ilaria Baneschi, Virginia Boiani, Maurizio Catania, Mariasilvia Giamberini, Brunella Raco, Antonello Provenzale: “Understanding the dynamics of carbon dioxide fluxes in mountain grasslands: integration of eddy covariance and chamber CO2 measurements”, Advancing Critical Zone Science – 1st Ozcar-Tereno international conference, Strasburg, 5-8 October 2021. https://ozcartereno2020.sciencesconf.org/resource/page/id/27.
Marta Magnani, Ilaria Baneschi, Mariasilvia Giamberini, Brunella Raco, Antonello Provenzale: “Modelling carbon dioxide fluxes in the Arctic Critical Zone: a data-driven approach”; Advancing Critical Zone Science – 1st Ozcar-Tereno international conference, Strasburg, 5-8 October 2021. https://ozcartereno2020.sciencesconf.org/resource/page/id/27.
Magnani, M., Baneschi, I., Giamberini, M., and Provenzale, A.: “Drivers of carbon dioxide fluxes in high-Arctic tundra: data-driven models”, EGU General Assembly 2021, 19–30 Apr 2021, EGU21-5665, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu21-5665, 2021. https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU21/EGU21-5665.html.
Mariasilvia Giamberini, Ilaria Baneschi, Matteo Lelli, Marta Magnani, Brunella Raco, Antonello Provenzale: “A Critical Zone Approach to Carbon Fluxes in the Arctic Tundra”; Proceedings of the European Geosciences Union EGU2020 – Volume 22.
Marta Magnani, Ilaria Baneschi, Mariasilvia Giamberini, Brunella Raco, Pietro Mosca, and Antonello Provenzale: “Drivers of carbon fluxes in high-altitude Alpine Critical Zone: a novel data-based model”; Proceedings of the European Geosciences Union EGU2020 – Volume 22.
Maria Silvia Giamberini, Marta Magnani, Pietro Mosca, Antonello Provenzale, and Brunella Raco: The Nivolet Critical Zone Observatory: exploring relationships between carbon fluxes and geology; Proceedings of the European Geosciences Union EGU2019 – Volume 21.
Marta Magnani, Ilaria Baneschi, Mariasilvia Giamberini, Pietro Mosca, and Antonello Provenzale: Modelling high-altitude Critical Zone in Alpine meadows; Proceedings of the European Geosciences Union EGU2019 – Volume 21.
Antonello Provenzale, Ilaria Baneschi, Stefano Ferraris, Mariasilvia Giamberini, Massimo Guidi, Pietro Mosca, Elisa Palazzi, Maddalena Pennisi, and Brunella Raco: Carbon fluxes in high-altitude prairies: results from the Critical Zone Observatory at Nivolet; Proceedings of the European Geosciences Union EGU2018 – Volume 20.
Baneschi, Cerrato, Ferraris, Giamberini, Imperio, Provenzale, Viterbi: Changes in Alpine grassland of Grand Paradiso National Park (Italy): first results from CO2 fluxes monitoring programme, in: 6th International Symposium for Research in Protected Areas, 2017 (6th International Symposium for Research in Protected Areas, Salzburg (AT), 2017).
Loni T., Baneschi I., Guidi M. (2013). Evaluation of greenhouse gas emissions from temperate wetlands: the case of Lake Massaciuccoli (Tuscany). FIST Geoitalia 2013, Epitome 2013: pagina 204 (Oral Session) ISSN 1972-1552
Geothermal and volcanic areas:
Journal publications:
Taussi, M., Nisi, B., Pizarro, M., Morata D., Veloso A.E., Volpi G., Vaselli, O., Renzulli, A. (2019). Sealing capacity of clay-cap units above the Cerro Pabellón hidden geothermal system (northern Chile) derived by soil CO2 flux and temperature measurements. Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research. 384, pp. 1-14. (IF:2.617).
Cardellini C., Chiodini G., Frondini F., Avino R., Bagnato E., Caliro S., Lelli M., Rosiello A. (2017). Monitoring diffuse volcanic degassing during volcanic unrests: the case of Campi Flegrei (Italy). Scientific reports 7 (1), 1-15.
Elío J., Ortega M.F., Nisi B., Mazadiego L.F., Vaselli O., Caballero J., Chacón E. (2016). A multi-statistical approach for estimating the total output of CO2 from diffuse soil degassing by the accumulation chamber method. International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control 47, 351–363. dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijggc.2016.02.012. (IF: 4.078).
Elio J., Ortega M. F., Nisi B., Mazadiego L.F, Vaselli O., Caballero J., Grandia F. (2015). CO2 and Rn degassing from the natural analogue of Campo de Calatrava (Spain): implications for monitoring of CO2 storage sites. International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, 32; 1-14. dx.doi.org/10.1016/J.iiggc.2014.10.014. (IF: 4.078).
Nisi B., Vaselli O., Tassi F., Elio J., Ortega M., Caballero J., Rappuoli D., Mazadiego L.F. 2014. Origin of the gases released from the Acqua Passante and Ermeta wells (Mt. Amiata, central Italy) and possible environmental implications for their closure. Annals of Geophysics, 57, 4, 2014, S0438; doi:10.4401/ag-6584. (IF: 1.205).
Raco B. (1998). CO2 flux from soil: fundamental parameters and its applicability to volcanic surveillance. PLINIUS,19,pp 208-213.
G. Chiodini, F. Frondini, B. Raco. (1996). Diffuse emission of CO2 from the Fossa crater, Vulcano Island (Italy). Bull Volcanol, 58,41-50.
Chiodini G., Cioni R., Di Paola G.M., Dotsika E., Fytikas M., Guidi M., Leonis C., Lyberopoulou V., Magro G., Marini L., Meletidis S., Michelot J.L., Poutoukis D., Raco B., Russo M., Virgili G (1996). Geochemistry of Santorini fluid. In “The European laboratory volcanoes”. Proceedings of the 2nd Workshop, Santorini, Greece, pp 2-4.
Chiodini G., Cioni R., Marini L., Raco B., Taddeucci G. (1993). CO2 in soil gases (Session: “Etna: gas geochemistry”), Acta Vulcanologica, 3, pp 315-316,
Libri, monografie e capitoli di libri:
Elio J., Ortega M.F., Mazadiego L.F., Nisi B., Vaselli O., Garcia-Martinez M.J. 2016. Monitoring of Soil Gases in the Characterization Stage of CO2 Storage in Saline Aquifers and Possible Effects of CO2 Leakages in the Groundwater System. © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2016 V. Vishal, T.N. Sing (eds.), Geologic Carbon Sequestration DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-27019-7_5. ISBN 978-3-319-27017-3. ISBN 978-3-319-27019-7 (e Book).
Biochemical decomposition of waste
Journal publications:
Battaglini, R., Raco, B., Scozzari, A. (2013). Effective monitoring of landfills: Flux measurements and thermography enhance efficiency and reduce environmental impact. Journal of Geophysics and Engineering, 10 (6), art. no. 064002. IF 0.895; SCIMAGO 0.54; HI 21
Raco, B., Dotsika, E., Battaglini, R., Bulleri, E., Doveri, M., Papakostantinou, K. (2013). A quick and reliable method to detect and quantify contamination from MSW landfills: A case study. Water, Air, and Soil Pollution, 224 (3). IF 1.551; SCIMAGO 0.63; HI 80
Raco, B., Battaglini, R., Lelli, M. (2010). Gas emission into the atmosphere from controlled landfills: An example from Legoli landfill (Tuscany, Italy). Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 17 (6), pp. 1197-1206. IF 2.76; SCIMAGO 0.886; HI 59
Proceedings di conferenze:
Eleazar Padrón, María Asensio-Ramos, Nemesio M Pérez, Daniel Di Nardo, Violeta T Albertos-Blanchard, Mar Alonso, Franco Tassi, Brunella Raco, Dina López (2020) Methane emission to the atmosphere from landfills in the Canary Islands. EGU General Assembly Conference Abstracts, 5651.
David Calvo, María Asensio-Ramos, Laura Acosta, Mar Alonso, Cecilia Morales, Violeta T Albertos-Blanchard, Cecilia Amonte, Fátima Rodríguez, José Barrancos, Gladys V Melián, Eleazar Padrón, Erica Pérez, Franco Tassi, Brunella Raco, Dina López, Pedro A Hernández, Nemesio M Pérez (2019). Evaluating the estimated methane emission into the atmosphere by landfills in Spain. Geophysical Research Abstracts, 21.
Andrea Scozzari, Giulio Masetti, Brunella Raco, Raffaele Battaglini (2017). How the availability of free satellite data can improve the observation of critical infrastructures: a proposed application to landfills for municipal solid wastes. EGUGA, 9072
Scozzari A., Raco B., Battaglini R. (2016). Landfills as critical infrastructures: analysis of observational datasets after 12 years of non-invasive monitoring, EGU General Assembly, 18, 16643.
Scozzari, A., Raco, B., Battaglini, R. (2014). Landfills as critical infrastructures: synergy between non-invasive monitoring technologies, EGU General Assembly, 16, pp 9343,
Scozzari A., Raco B., Lelli M., Lippo G. (2006). Interaction of MSW landfills with the atmosphere: measurement experience and results. EGU- General Assembly 2006 – Geophysical Research Abstracts , 8, 03730.
Raco B., Scozzari A., Guidi M., Lelli M., Lippo G.(2005) Comparison of two non-invasive methodologies to monitor diffuse biogas emissions from MSW landfills soil: a case study. Proc. of the 10th Int. Waste Management and Landfill Symposium. SARDINIA 2005.
Cioni R., Guidi M., Raco B., Giamberini S., and Daddi P. (2003). Measurement of biogas emissions from air-soil interface in the MSW landfill of Legoli (Pisa, Italy). Proc. of the Ninth Int. Waste Management and Landfill Symposium. SARDINIA 2003
Cioni R., Guidi M., Raco B., Guercio M., Corsi R. (2002). CO2 flux from soil: a methodology to estimate the diffuse biogas. Proc. of the 7th Int. Symp. on Environmental Issue and Waste Management in Energy and Mineral Production, pp163-174.
Libri, monografie e capitoli di libri:
Manetti, Piero & Raco, Brunella. (2008). Il monitoraggio delle discariche RSU come strumento nella valutazione di impatto ambientale. Giornale di Geologia Applicata, 9, 1.
Analytical Methods:
M .Lelli, B. Raco: A reliable and effective methodology to monitor CO2 flux from soil: The case of Lipari Island (Sicily, Italy) (2017) Applied Geochemistry, Volume 85, Part A, October 2017, Pages 73-85 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeochem.2017.08.004
E. Giovenali, l. Coppo, g. Virgili, d. Continanza, i. Minardi, Raco B. (2013). The flux-meter: implementation of a portable integrated instrumentation for the measurement of CO2 and CH4 diffuse flux from landfill soil cover. Proceedings Sardinia 2013, Fourteenth International Waste Management and Landfill Symposium S. Margherita di Pula, Cagliari, Italy; 30 September – 4 October 2013 2013 by CISA Publisher, Italy
Chiodini G., Cioni R., Guidi M., Marini L., Raco B. (1998) Soil CO2 flux measurements in volcanic and geothermal areas, Applied Geochemistry, 13, 543-552.