Self-Potential Studies in Volcanic Environments: A Cheap and Efficient Method for Multiscale Fluid-Flow Investigations

Figure 1

2D measured and modeled self-potential profile (top) and 2D electrical resistivity tomography transect with modeled groundwater flow velocities (bottom), La Fossa di Vulcano, Vulcano Island, Italy. We can clearly observe the positive SP anomaly coinciding with the electrically conductive zone in the center of the crater. Finite-element modeling of the groundwater flow using Comsol Multiphysics 3.3 confirmed that the observed SP anomalies are very likely to be caused by the combination of a hot, hydrothermal system in the center, causing hydrothermal upwelling and a positive SP anomaly, and downward flow through ashes and tuff materials along the flanks of the volcano. The figure is modified from [64].