Dr. Francesco Sortino is a researcher at INGV (CNR from 1984 to 2001), specializes in geochemical monitoring of active volcanoes in Italy, Indonesia, Spain, and Peru. Throughout his career, he has developed numerous analytical techniques in the field of isotopic geochemistry of fluids, as well as for analyzing major, minor, and trace elements in natural fluids and volcanic gases.
At Vulcano, he developed a quantitative model to calculate the respective contributions of magmatic and hydrothermal fluids feeding the fumaroles, as well as the cooling of these fluids during their ascent.
Recognizing the importance of quickly obtaining results on the major and minor components in volcanic gases, he has designed several analytical methods that, through simple laboratory procedures, provide valuable information for assessing volcanic system activity.
He developed a monitoring station equipped with a micro-gas chromatograph and, in recent years, has designed and engineered a new instrument capable of analyzing certain volcanic gases every five minutes. The project's goal is to correlate high-frequency analytical sequences with data obtained from other investigative methods. This approach has made it possible to identify mechanisms involving fluid ascent that precede changes in Etna’s activity.
Since 2017, he has been working on developing and adapting geochemical investigation techniques in the field of archaeoseismology. These methods have made it possible to identify anomalous zones and active faults near the Santa Venera al Pozzo thermal area. Moreover, using a micro-gas chromatograph for continuous analysis of the chemical composition of emitted gases, it was possible to detect compositional changes before and during the Etna eruption (December 21–27, 2018), and especially during the Fiandaca earthquake on December 26, 2018.