A group of researchers from the Costa Rican Volcanological and Seismological Observatory (Ovsicori) analyzes whether the degassing process in the lagoon of the Río Cuarto volcano has a magmatic origin.
The 70-meter deep lagoon is a crater formed from a phreatomagmatic eruption as a result of the contact between magma and water. Its formation dates from three or four million years ago.
This crater is degassing with a possible accumulation of CO2 (carbon dioxide) and CH4 (methane) gases resulting from the injection of hydrothermal gases, microbial processes and the stratification of water into three layers called epilimnion, metalimnion and hipolimnion,”
explained the Ovsicori, through a report published on August 13th.
According to scientists, the first layer corresponds to surface waters with a higher temperature and oxygen.
The second layer is the transition between the superficial and deep layer where this stratification is generated. The last layer corresponds to deep waters with lower temperatures, lower concentrations of O2 and high concentrations of hydrothermal CO2,”
said the report.
On July 31st, a group of researchers from the institution visited the lagoon to extract gas samples in order to be analyzed in the entity’s laboratories. In the field, the samples temperature and pH (acidity) are measured as part of the procedures for the respective analysis of the results.
Accumulated gases are dangerous if they are released suddenly. This type of matter could be released through climatic events (such as high winds).
These conditions are capable of causing a change in the position of the strata of the lake, that is,
surface waters are removed giving way to deep waters which contain gas and once released can be transported by winds.”