A magnitude 3.6 earthquake has been recorded at the supervolcano Campi Flegrei, which sits around nine miles from Naples. Campi Flegrei is one of the world’s most populated active volcanoes, with over 2.2 million people living within around three miles of the site.
The earthquake was reported at approximately 7.45 p.m. by the INGV, Italy’s earthquake monitoring body. It struck at a depth of around 1.8 miles. The largest earthquake to hit Campi Flegrei in 2021 was a magnitude 3 in May. There was a magnitude 4 earthquake in August 2017.
The biggest earthquake to hit the area was a magnitude 4.2 event in 1984. Volcanic activity in the region relates to the convergence of the African plate and the Eurasian plate. The volcano consists of 24 craters and edifices. Campi Flegrei’s last eruption was a fairly small event in 1538.
This event, known as the Monte Nuovo eruption, was preceded by years of huge uplift of the ground, with the land at the center rising by tens of feet out of the sea. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, in the hours before the eruption, the shore rose so fast that fish were trapped and the coastline moved 1,200 feet into the sea.
On the day of the eruption, a crack opened in the uplifted area, releasing huge amounts of pumice, fire, and smoke. The volcano has also produced much larger eruptions, with one 40,000 years ago being classed as a “super-colossal” eruption. This is one down from the “mega-colossal” eruptions recorded at Yellowstone. FULL REPORT
