European supervolcano Campi Flegrei 'could be close to devastating eruption'

Warning: Campi Flegrei could be approaching a “critical stage” after decades of activity
Carlo Hermann/KONTROLAB /LightRocket
Tom Powell16 May 2017

A supervolcano in Italy may be on the verge of a devastating eruption, scientists have warned.

Phlegraean Fields, known in Italy as Campi Flegrei, could be approaching a “critical stage” according to scientists from University College London and the Vesuvius Observatory.

An eruption, which has not happened since 1538, could affect 360,000 people in the western region and over a million in the city of Naples.

Regular earthquakes have been witnessed since the 1950s, while researchers have now also spotted magma swelling beneath the crust.

The volcano has not erupted since 1538 (Shutterstock )
Shutterstock

Christopher Kilburn, Director of the UCL Hazard Centre, said: “By studying how the ground is cracking and moving at Campi Flegrei, we think it may be approaching a critical stage where further unrest will increase the possibility of an eruption.

“It’s imperative that the authorities are prepared for this.”

The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, says that the eight-mile wide caldera has been restless for almost seven decades.

The last time Campi Flegrei erupted was after 100 years of activity.

However, scientists have emphasised that they do not believe an explosion is imminent.

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