Persistent CO2 emissions and hydrothermal unrest following the 2015 earthquake in Nepal

Abstract

Fluid–earthquake interplay, as evidenced by aftershock distributions or earthquake-induced effects on near-surface aquifers, has suggested that earthquakes dynamically affect permeability of the Earth’s crust. The connection between the mid-crust and the surface was further supported by instances of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions associated with seismic activity, so far only observed in magmatic context. Here we report spectacular non-volcanic CO2 emissions and hydrothermal disturbances at the front of the Nepal Himalayas following the deadly 25 April 2015 Gorkha earthquake (moment magnitude Mw = 7.8). The data show unambiguously the appearance, after the earthquake, sometimes with a delay of several months, of CO2 emissions at several sites separated by > 10 kilometres, associated with persistent changes in hydrothermal discharges, including a complete cessation. These observations reveal that Himalayan hydrothermal systems are sensitive to co- and post- seismic deformation, leading to non-stationary release of metamorphic CO2 from active orogens. Possible pre-seismic effects need further confirmation.