The region around the southern Italian metropolis of Naples has been hit again by an earthquake. It is said to have had a magnitude of 4.0. Volcanologists are concerned about the series of earthquakes that have been going on for days.
The latest earthquake occurred on Monday evening in the Phlegraean Fields, a so-called supervolcano, the Italian Civil Protection said on X (formerly Twitter). This is a hugely active volcanic area west of Vesuvius. There was no damage or injuries, but the earthquake caused panic among residents, according to civil defense.
People ran into the streets in panic
Italian media reported that people took to the streets and did not want to return to their homes. Hundreds of frightened citizens contacted the telephone exchange of the Naples Fire Department. On Tuesday morning, some people gathered courage and returned to their homes. However, many are still afraid. Stability checks are underway.
Epicenter between Naples and Pozzuoli
According to the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology, the epicenter of the earthquake was at a depth of about three kilometers between the cities of Naples and Pozzuoli. A series of earthquakes have occurred in the Phlegraean Fields in recent days. A magnitude 4.2 earthquake was recorded there on Wednesday – the strongest quake in the area in 40 years.
The last major volcanic eruption in the Phlegraean Fields occurred in 1538. A major eruption 30,000 years ago is thought to have contributed to the extinction of the Neanderthals. Today, about half a million people live in the region.
Concerns about the phenomenon of ‘bradisismo’
Researchers repeatedly warn about the phenomenon of ‘bradisismo’, the rising and falling of the earth in this volcanic area. The yellow alert has been in effect there for eleven years and calls for caution. Volcanologist Giuseppe Di Natale is concerned: “The fear among the population is enormous. “They are afraid of the earthquakes, but many residents think that an eruption of the volcano is impossible and simply dismiss this idea,” says Di Natale, who has been researching ‘bradisismo’ for 40 years. The word comes from Greek and means ‘slow movement of the earth’.
“We have no idea how great the risk of an eruption is.”
“The increasing rise of the ground indicates increasingly higher internal pressure beneath the Earth, which also leads to increasingly stronger and more frequent earthquakes. It is clear that if this pressure continues to increase, sooner or later the rocks on the surface will no longer be able to support this pressure and an eruption will occur. Unfortunately, we currently do not know the resistance limit of the rocks in the first three kilometers of depth, so we have no idea how great the risk of an eruption could be,” Di Natale explains.
The volcanologist complains that most buildings in the Naples area do not meet the latest anti-seismic standards. “Decayed buildings could suffer serious damage or even collapse in a stronger earthquake,” Di Natale said.
Source: Krone
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