Near Naples in southern Italy lies a dangerous area classified as a supervolcano: the Phlegraean Fields (Campi Flegrei). In recent months, the region’s ground has been shaking more than normal, raising concerns among some residents and alarming scientists. Because the region is very densely populated, an evacuation of the population would cause problems. “You can expect that even a failed warning would probably lead to several deaths due to the panic,” warns Austrian geologist Robert Supper of GeoSphere Austria.
The Campi Flegrei (Phlegrean Fields – Greek for ‘fires’) are located about 20 kilometers from Naples. Here you will find densely populated cities such as Pozzuoli, Agnano and Bacoli, which together have more than 500,000 inhabitants. At the end of September, the area was hit by an earthquake with a magnitude of 4.2 on the Richter scale. Over the past fifteen years, the earth’s surface at Campi Flegrei has risen by almost one meter.
Area dotted with 24 craters
The area is riddled with 24 craters and is a much larger volcano than nearby Vesuvius, which destroyed the ancient Roman city of Pompeii in 79 AD. If an eruption were to occur at Campi Flegrei, lava would erupt from the ground directly beneath the buildings. “The region here is very densely populated. The chances of evacuating on time are therefore difficult,” Supper emphasizes on Wednesday in the Ö1 “Morgenjournal”.
“Caution is advised”
And he added: “You can expect that just a warning could lead to big trouble. During the weekend the highway is completely closed because everyone wants to go to the beach. Even one missed warning will likely result in multiple deaths due to the panic. Caution is therefore required.” The chance of an eruption is relatively small, but the volcano is currently more active and volcanologists are closely monitoring the situation.
Evacuations “very necessary”
Italy’s Civil Protection Minister Nello Musumeci said last October that evacuations would only be carried out in cases of “extreme necessity”. The government wants to provide more resources to local authorities for disaster response so they can respond quickly in case of emergency and finance a communications campaign to raise public awareness, Musumeci said.
Hospitals began evacuation tests
Local media reported that a group of hospitals in the region had begun evacuation tests to ensure they were prepared for stronger earthquakes or eruptions. The last time Campi Flegrei was hit by a comparable number of earthquakes was in the 1980s. At that time, about 40,000 people from nearby Pozzuoli were temporarily taken to safety.
The last major volcanic eruption at Campi Flegrei occurred in 1538. One of the largest eruptions in history occurred 39,000 years ago and may have led to the extinction of the Neanderthals, some researchers believe. The magma from this eruption was found in Greenland, about 4,500 kilometers away.
Warning for volcano tourism
Despite the impressive natural spectacle, Supper warned against a form of volcano tourism. “The case is too dangerous. Especially with small outbreaks, you always have the problem that it is mainly people who travel for tourism who are at great risk and this also causes many deaths. Also due to toxic fumes. This is something that tourists usually have no control over and cannot even smell.”
Source: Krone

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