Campi Flegrei : A Looming Volcanic Threat near Pompeii with Catastrophic Potential

Vesuvius is known for raining hell upon the city of Pompeii, destroying the city and killing its inhabitants in 79 AD, and many point to Campi Flegrei recreating the catastrophe. The volcano could erupt at any time.

Located about 9 kilometers from Naples, Campi Flegrei does not have the typical shape of a volcano; in fact, it is a landscape about 14 kilometers in diameter, forming a structure that scientists call a caldera, which last erupted almost 500 years ago.

In the 1950s, 1970s, and 1980s, the volcano showed activity that lasted for about two years. Now, a recently published study has indicated that magma and volcanic gas from Campi Flegrei have been agitated about three kilometers below the surface, creating hundreds of small earthquakes. This situation is concerning because even causing only mild tremors, it has been powerful enough to raise the city of Pozzuoli, where the volcano is located, by about 4 meters in recent times. If these activities continue, the caldera could rupture in an eruption.

But scientists add that an eruption is difficult to predict, and the rupture of the caldera does not necessarily mean that magma will be expelled. The rupture can open a crack in the crust, but the magma still needs to be pushed to the right place for an eruption to occur.

In 79 AD, when Vesuvius erupted, about 20,000 people living in Pompeii and Herculaneum were affected by the eruption. Currently, in the Campi Flegrei area, over 1.5 million people live in the surrounding areas, with 360,000 living on the "roof" of the volcano.

Campi Flegrei Eruption Zone

Although it is not possible to say for certain what the destruction caused by it would be, the region's history indicates that it will be catastrophic. What can be done now is to stay alert and hope that the magma calms its agitation. The important thing is to be prepared for all outcomes.