Connection between 222Rn emission and geophysical-geochemical parameters recorded during the volcanic unrest at Campi Flegrei caldera (2011-2017)

Studies concerning 222Rn emission from soils are growing interest in the Earth Sciences, due to the gas potential as a tracer of natural phenomena. This paper presents a study of radon monitoring in two sites of Campi Flegrei caldera (Neaples, Italy) during the period July 1, 2011–December 31, 2017. This area was characterized by several phases of volcanic unrest. A hybrid method based on Multiple Linear Regression + Remote Radon Estimation method + Singular Spectrum Analysis (MLR + RRE + SSA) is developed for the trend extraction and the identification of anomalies in the time series of 222Rn. The results are compared with several routinely used geo-indicators of the caldera unrest. The comparisons show strong correlation among the signals. The present study proves the 222Rn is a potential indicator of the evolution of a volcanic crisis.