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Carbon dioxide is the most abundant, non-condensable gas in volcanic systems, released into the atmosphere through either diffuse or advective fluid flow. The emission of substantial amounts of CO2 at Earth's surface is not only controlled by volcanic plumes during periods of eruptive activity or fumaroles, but also by soil degassing along permeable structures in the subsurface. Monitoring of these processes is of utmost importance for volcanic hazard analyses, and is also relevant for managing geothermal resources. Fluid-bearing faults are key elements of economic value for geothermal power generation. Here, we describe for the first time how sensitively and quickly natural gas emissions react to changes within a deep hydrothermal system due to geothermal fluid reinjection. For this purpose, we deployed an automated, multi-chamber CO2 flux monitoring system within the damage zone of a deep-rooted major normal fault in the Los Humeros Volcanic Complex (LHVC) in Mexico and recorded data over a period of five months. After removing the atmospheric effects on variations in CO2 flux, we calculated correlation coefficients between residual CO2 emissions and reinjection rates, identifying an inverse correlation of ρ = − 0.51 to − 0.66. Our results indicate that gas emissions respond to changes in reinjection rates within 24 h, proving an active hydraulic communication between the hydrothermal system and Earth's surface. This finding is a promising indication not only for geothermal reservoir monitoring but also for advanced long-term volcanic risk analysis. Response times allow for estimation of fluid migration velocities, which is a key constraint for conceptual and numerical modelling of fluid flow in fracture-dominated systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide (TCN) concentrations in fluvial sediment, from which denudation rates are commonly inferred, can be affected by hillslope processes. TCN concentrations in gravel and sand may differ if localized, deep‐excavation processes (e.g. landslides, debris flows) affect the contributing catchment, whereas the TCN concentrations of sand and gravel tend to be more similar when diffusional processes like soil creep and sheetwash are dominant. To date, however, no study has systematically compared TCN concentrations in different detrital grain‐size fractions with a detailed inventory of hillslope processes from the entire catchment. Here we compare concentrations of the TCN 10Be in 20 detrital sand samples from the Quebrada del Toro (southern Central Andes, Argentina) to a hillslope‐process inventory from each contributing catchment. Our comparison reveals a shift from low‐slope gullying and scree production in slowly denuding, low‐slope areas to steep‐slope gullying and landsliding in fast‐denuding, steep areas. To investigate whether the nature of hillslope processes (locally excavating or more uniformly denuding) may be reflected in a comparison of the 10Be concentrations of sand and gravel, we define the normalized sand‐gravel index (NSGI) as the 10Be‐concentration difference between sand and gravel divided by their summed concentrations. We find a positive, linear relationship between the NSGI and median slope, such that our NSGI values broadly reflect the shift in hillslope processes from low‐slope gullying and scree production to steep‐slope gullying and landsliding. Higher NSGI values characterize regions affected by steep‐slope gullying or landsliding. We relate the large scatter in the relationship, which is exhibited particularly in low‐slope areas, to reduced hillslope‐channel connectivity and associated transient sediment storage within those catchments. While high NSGI values in well‐connected catchments are a reliable signal of deep‐excavation processes, hillslope excavation processes may not be reliably recorded by NSGI values where sediment experiences transient storage. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. The comparison of 10Be derived denudation rates to a hillslope‐process inventory reveals a shift in hillslope processes as denudation rates increase. To test if a signal of hillslope processes is preserved in the 10Be concentration of fluvial sediment, we define the normalized sand‐gravel index (NSGI) as the 10Be‐concentration difference between sand and gravel. We find a positive relationship between NSGI and slope, such that NSGI values broadly reflect the shift in hillslope processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]