Earth Science News
SHAKE AND BLOW
Italy's Campi Flegrei volcano near 'breaking point'
Italy's Campi Flegrei volcano near 'breaking point'
By Ga�l BRANCHEREAU
Rome (AFP) June 9, 2023

Half a million people live on a sprawling volcano in Italy -- and the risk of an eruption has never been greater, according to a study published Friday.

The Campi Flegrei (Phlegraean Fields) volcano may be less well-known than Vesuvius, but is "extremely dangerous", study co-author Stefano Carlino told AFP.

Vesuvius wiped Pompeii off the map almost two millennia ago, while the vast volcanic Campi Flegrei area near Naples last spewed lava, ashes and rocks in 1538.

But the Campi Flegrei is not one to take lightly -- the volcano's eruption 30,000 years ago is reported to have contributed to the extinction of Neanderthal man.

One could be forgiven for not realising its danger though, because instead of growing into a traditional mountain, the volcano has the shape of a gentle depression 12-14 kilometres (7.5-8.5 miles) across.

A resurgence of activity in the early 1980s led to the evacuation of 40,000 inhabitants, but the volcano has been relatively quiet since then.

"We're not saying there will be an eruption, we are saying that the conditions for a eruption are more favourable," Christopher Kilburn from University College London told AFP.

The tens of thousands of small earthquakes that have taken place since the 1950s weakened the caldera, the basin at the top of the volcano.

And the report -- published in Nature's Communications Earth & Environment journal -- found "parts of the volcano had been stretched nearly to breaking point".

The quakes have been increasing in number since 2019, while the pressure below has been building.

The coastal town of Pozzuoli has been lifted by nearly four metres (13 feet) -- roughly the height of a double-decker bus -- since the 1950s, it said.

The tremors and ground uplift are cumulative, meaning volcanic activity does not need to intensify for an eruption to become more likely.

"An eventual eruption could be preceded by relatively weak signals, such as a smaller rate of ground uplift and fewer earthquakes," the study's authors said in a press release.

They point to the eruption of the Rabaul caldera in Papua New Guinea 1994, which was preceded by small earthquakes occurring at a tenth of the rate than had occurred during a crisis a decade before.

- Small eruptions -

The probability of a massive eruption occurring, however, is "very low", Carlino said. "What is more likely are small eruptions."

And while the volcano is closer to rupture, that does not necessarily mean an eruption will take place, Kilburn said.

Even if the crust cracks, "the magma needs to be pushing up at the right location for the eruption to occur", he said.

The researchers used a model based on the physics of how rocks break and applied it in real-time to the volcano, which is flat and mostly hidden -- either under buildings or coastal waters.

They measured the tremors and ground movements and compared them with previous eruptions of other, similar volcanos.

"We cannot say with certainty what will happen, what matters is being prepared for any eventuality," Carlino said.

Some 500,000 people live in what Italy's civil protection agency has designated the red zone -- the area at highest risk.

Another 800,000 people live in the yellow zone.

Authorities have drawn up an evacuation plan, under which residents will be moved out using their own or public transport within three days.

The risk level -- green, yellow, orange and red -- is reviewed monthly.

"The alert level in Pozzuoli is currently yellow," council spokeswoman Giordana Mobilio told AFP, adding that locals receive alerts for all tremors of a magnitude of 1.5 or greater.

Related Links
Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters
When the Earth Quakes
A world of storm and tempest

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
SHAKE AND BLOW
Indonesia's Anak Krakatoa volcano erupts, spews huge ash column
Jakarta (AFP) June 9, 2023
Indonesia's Anak Krakatoa volcano erupted on Friday, belching a column of ash more than three kilometres into the sky, officials said. The volcanic island emerged from the sea at the beginning of the last century from the crater formed after the 1883 eruption of Mount Krakatoa - one of the deadliest and most destructive in history. Anak Krakatoa, which means "Child of Krakatoa", spewed thick ash over the strait that separates the islands of Java and Sumatra. There were no immediate reports ... read more

SHAKE AND BLOW
UN says Myanmar junta halts humanitarian access to cyclone survivors

Riverside Ukraine city left with mud and memories

Dutch to send rescue boats, water pumps to Ukraine

'Failure not an option' for jungle commandos in Colombian children rescue

SHAKE AND BLOW
Liquid shock absorbers in football helmets could reduce impact on brains

Rio Tinto to spend $1.1 bn to expand Quebec low-carbon smelter

Ubisoft teases VR version of hit game 'Assassin's Creed'

Meta's Zuckerberg shakes off Apple Vision Pro: report

SHAKE AND BLOW
Ukraine's Zelensky visits flooded region; 8 deaths reported

NOAA announces $2.6 billion to protect coastal communities

Drought hits Bishkek, where taps are running dry

Denmark goes two weeks without rain for first time since 2006

SHAKE AND BLOW
Order in chaos: Atmosphere's Antarctic oscillation has natural cycle

US to open first Arctic diplomatic post in Norway

World's melting ice a hot topic for UN

An improved view of global sea ice

SHAKE AND BLOW
Canadian Prairies farmers try to adapt to a warming world

Seaweed farming may help tackle global food insecurity

Indonesia, Malaysia to fight against EU palm oil 'discrimination'

California's honey bees await the famous sunshine

SHAKE AND BLOW
Thousands evacuated as Philippine volcano spews ash, rocks

Indonesia's Anak Krakatoa volcano erupts, spews huge ash column

Italy's Campi Flegrei volcano near 'breaking point'

Pakistan orders mass evacuations ahead of cyclone landfall

SHAKE AND BLOW
Rwanda leaps forward in its journey to build a robust and vibrant space innovation ecosystem

Rwanda's Kagame orders major military purge

Over 16 million need aid in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger: report

Israeli soldiers to join Moroccan war games for first time

SHAKE AND BLOW
AI chatbots offer comfort to the bereaved

UNESCO says US plans to rejoin body from July

Iraq's Christians fight to save threatened ancient language

Serotonin's impact across molecular and whole-brain levels in a simple animal

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.