PUBLICATIONS Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth RESEARCH ARTICLE Ground heating and methane oxidation processes 10.1002/2014JB011635 at shallow depth in Terre Calde di Medolla (Italy): This article is a companion to Nespoli Observations and conceptual model et al. [2015] doi:10.1002/2014JB011636. Bruno Capaccioni1, Franco Tassi2,3, Stefano Cremonini1, Alessandra Sciarra4, and Orlando Vaselli2,3 Key Points: 1Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy, 2Department of • Anomalous high soil temperatures 3 were measured at the Terre Calde Earth Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy, CNR-IGG Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources, Florence, Italy, di Medolla 4Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Rome, Italy • ACO2 and CH4 isotopic decoupling was observed at 0.6 m depth • Exothermic, oxidative CH4 removal is Abstract The toponym “Terre Calde di Medolla” (literally, “Warm Earths of Medolla”) refers to a farming the main mechanism of soil heating at TCM area, located near the town of Modena (Emilia-Romagna region, northern Italy), which has always been known by the local population for the relatively high temperatures of the soil. This phenomenon is particularly evident in wintertime when the snow cover over this area rapidly melts. A detailed investigation, carried out after the devastating 2012 Emilia earthquake that affected this area, showed soil temperatures up to 44°C, Correspondence to: – fl – À2 À1 B. Capaccioni, i.e., 20 25°C above the local background value, together with diffuse soil uxes of CH4 (0 2432 g × m ×d ) À2 À1
[email protected] and minor, though significant, CO2 (0–1184 g × m ×d ), especially from subcircular (a few meters in diameter) zones.