Berlin/Naples. The ground over the Phlegraean Fields in Italy has been rising for years – but recently it has been rising faster and faster. Is the super volcano awakening?
There is a threat of an outbreak Supervolkans Campi Flegrei in Italy? Local residents are worried – and not without reason: Hundreds of earthquakes were recently recorded around the Phlegraean Fields and were felt as far away as the city of Naples.
In the period from April 8th to 14th alone, the National Institute for Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) recorded around the Phlegraic fields 242 earthquakes with a magnitude of up to 3.7. “The stronger tremors appear to be of volcano-tectonic origin,” writes geologist and volcano filmmaker Marc Szeglat on “vulkane.net“.
Earth above the supervolcano is 1.2 meters higher today than it was in 2011
In addition: The earth’s surface around the supervolcano, which is through the volcanic activities which is constantly rising slightly underneath, has recently moved up by one centimeter in just two days – as much as in a month. Overall, according to INGV, the surface in the region is almost 1.2 meters higher today than it was in January 2011.
This has a significant impact on the buildings in the region: the shifts can make them unstable. Come earthquake Added to this, there is sometimes a risk of collapse. It is therefore not surprising that the residents around the supervolcano are becoming increasingly uneasy. The Italian newspaper “il Matiino” reports “fear in the heart of Naples”. Although the city is a few kilometers away from the Phlegraean Fields, some of the earthquakes were still felt there. The fear of a volcanic eruption is great.
NameCampi Flegrei (Phlegraean Fields)LocationWest of Naples, ItalyTypeSupervolcanic CalderaSignificant eruptionsCampanian Ignimbrite (39,000 years ago), Neapolitan Yellow Tuff (15,000 years ago)Size13 km wideHistorical significanceTwo massive eruptions led to the collapse of the caldera
Fears of a supervolcano eruption are growing in Italy
This is also clear in the villages in the immediate vicinity of the supervolcano: When an earthquake occurred on April 16, teachers sent students to the schoolyards, according to the “Frankfurter Rundschau”. For fear of more vibrations Sunday services took place outdoors in some communities the weekend before.
Meanwhile, the mayor of Pozzuoli, one of the affected municipalities, is trying to calm people down. “I know the earthquakes scared you. But I ask you to remain calm,” Enzo Buono wrote on Facebook. Even if the tremors frighten people in Italy, according to the authorities, they are not signs of an impending eruption. The INGV writes: “Based on the current picture of the volcanic activity “There is no evidence of significant short-term developments.”