Some considerations on flow, heat and chemical composition of Italian hot springs

Abstract

Tlie flow, the temperature and the chemical composition<br />of Italian hot springs are eonsidered from the geopliysical and geochemical<br />points of view. At Guardia Piemontese, the spring temperature deereases in<br />the rainy season while the flow increases, the phase lag of this variation from<br />tlie rain being about two months. This may suggest that the precipitation<br />aliments the source of the hot spring itself or it causes an increase of groundwater<br />mixing to tlie hot spring.<br />In Italy, the hot water output of each hot spring is generally less<br />than the quantity of corresponding recharged water from the precipitation<br />in the basili, and tliis relation is also kept in the geothermal steam fleld<br />of Larderello. The annual tliermal outputs of Italian hot springs are<br />of order of IO14 cai at maximum. We can extraet geochemically some<br />groups of water from the Italian minerai waters: thev are a high saline water<br />being regarded as fossil or oil-field water, a water being similar to the sea<br />water, a water of which main soluble component is CaS04, and a middle<br />type between last two waters.