Powerful earthquake rocks Italian city of Naples as debris lands on cars as fears grow of massive volcanic eruption
- The Campi Flegrei volcanic area has seen increased seismic activity in recent days
- Half a million people living around Campi Flegrei are at risk in the event of an eruption
A magnitude 4.0 earthquake shook Italy’s volcanic region of Campi Flegrei west of Naples yesterday as shocked residents posted videos of cars being pelted by debris during the worst of the tremors.
Although the earthquake did not cause any injuries or major damage, according to the Italian Civil Protection Agency, it did cause panic among residents who took to the streets fearing the tremors could be the prelude to a volcanic eruption.
The area around the Campi Flegrei (Phlegrean Fields) volcano, which last erupted in 1538, has been the scene of increased seismic activity in recent days with a series of tremors.
About half a million people live in the regions around Campi Flegrei and would be in serious danger in the event of an eruption.
It comes after a joint study by Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) and University College London (UCL) in June found the volcano was heading towards a ‘breaking point’ and was in an ‘extremely dangerous condition’ .
An earthquake with a magnitude of 4.2 was recorded on Wednesday, the strongest the area has experienced in 40 years and was felt as far away as Rome.
A magnitude 4.0 earthquake shook Italy’s volcanic Campi Flegrei region west of Naples yesterday as shocked residents posted videos of cars being pelted by debris during the worst of the tremors.
Although the earthquake did not cause any injuries or major damage, according to the Italian Civil Protection Agency, it did cause panic among residents who were shocked by the sudden tremors.
The closed Solfatara crater in Pozzuoli, Italy, September 27, 2023
The Solfatara is a shallow volcanic crater with steam and sulphurous fumes
The epicenter of yesterday’s earthquake was located at a depth of almost three kilometers between Naples and Pozzuoli, according to the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV).
INGV director Mario Di Vito warned that “it is possible that earthquakes of greater intensity will occur in the near future,” while another INGV official Giuseppe De Natale said he had instructed the Naples city council to carry out security checks in the hospitals, schools and hospitals of the city. public buildings.
Meanwhile, Civil Protection Minister Nello Musumeci warned against alarmism but admitted he had planned a meeting with officials in Naples to speed up the drawing up of “exit plans in case of an emergency.”
The Campi Flegrei is a collapsed supervolcanic caldera consisting of several craters and volcanic edifices.
A series of small-scale earthquakes and tremors have steadily weakened the caldera in recent decades, causing pressure to build beneath the surface.
The Campi Flegrei can be seen in this satellite image
Naples is flanked on both sides by volcanoes: Campi Flegrei to the west and Vesuvius (photo) to the east
Mount Vesuvius, Naples, Italy
The INGV says continued tremors will only increase pressure, creating the conditions required for an eventual eruption.
Naples is flanked on both sides by volcanoes: Campi Flegrei to the west and Vesuvius to the east.
Mount Vesuvius is famous for destroying the ancient cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum when it erupted in 79 AD, but the last eruption was in 1944 and the last major eruption was in 1631.
Another eruption is expected in the near future, which could be devastating for the 700,000 people living in the ‘death zones’ around Vesuvius.
The famous bowl-shaped crater at the top of Mount Vesuvius was formed during the 1944 eruption.