Skip to content

Integrated geophysical modelling for geothermal exploration on Pantelleria Island

Lorenzo Ricciardi 1; Giovanni Florio1; Stefano Carlino2; Tommaso Pivetta2; Umberto Riccardi1; Monica Sposato1,2; Luigi Sante Zampa3; Giuseppe Ferrara1; Antonio Troiano2; Claudio De Paola2; Roberto Isaia2; Maria Giulia Di Giuseppe2

  • Affiliations: 1Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, dell\'Ambiente e delle Risorse (DiSTAR), Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Naples, Italy; 2Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Osservatorio Vesuviano (INGV - OV, Naples, Italy); 3Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e di Geofisica Sperimentale (OGS, Trieste, Italy) 

  • Presentation type: Poster

  • Presentation time: Tuesday 16:30 - 18:30, Room Poster Hall

  • Poster Board Number: 9

  • Programme No: 5.1.15

  • Theme 5 > Session 1

Abstract

Pantelleria Island, in Southern Italy, has significant potential for geothermal energy development due to its high geothermal gradient (>150 °C/km), active CO2 emissions, and evidence of past volcanic resurgence. This study seeks to advance the understanding of the island's geothermal system through high-resolution gravity modeling. A comprehensive gravity survey was conducted, integrating existing on-land datasets with 130 newly acquired stations and offshore gravity data extending up to 30 km from the coast, resulting in a dataset of 1,050 measurement points. The combined data enabled the production of Free-Air and Bouguer anomaly maps with a spatial resolution of approximately 3 stations per km². These maps revealed significant horizontal density variations, correlated with subsurface geological structures. Edge analysis techniques, such as the Total Horizontal Derivative (THD), were applied to detect horizontal density contrasts, highlighting key stratigraphic and structural boundaries. These findings provided essential input for gravity data inversion, enabling the construction of a detailed 3D gravity model. The inversion process incorporates prior geological knowledge derived from borehole data, interpretations of reflection seismic data and a 3D resistivity model derived from magnetotelluric surveys. This multidisciplinary approach provides new insights into Pantelleria's geothermal system and highlights the island's potential for sustainable energy development. The results underscore the importance of integrated geophysical methods in geothermal resource assessment, contributing to the advancement of renewable energy applications.