Italy is gearing up for a massive evacuation plan as a series of earthquakes continue to rattle the Campi Flegrei supervolcano, situated near Naples. The Campi Flegrei area has experienced more than 1,100 seismic tremors within the past month alone, prompting the Italian government to take proactive measures aimed at safeguarding the lives of tens of thousands of residents living in the vicinity of this active supervolcano.
Government’s Emergency Response Plan
In response to the escalating seismic activity around the Campi Flegrei supervolcano, the Italian government has initiated a comprehensive emergency response plan. This includes a scheme to assess the structural integrity of buildings throughout the affected area following months of repeated earthquakes. The government is set to discuss these measures at a crucial cabinet meeting scheduled for Thursday.
Unprecedented Earthquake Swarm
Campi Flegrei, often referred to as the Phlegraean Fields, lies to the west of Naples and encompasses numerous towns and villages, including Pozzuoli, Agnano, and Bacoli. The combined population of these communities exceeds 500,000. The area, which boasts 24 craters, is home to a supervolcano significantly larger than the nearby Vesuvius, infamous for its destruction of Pompeii in AD79. In a month marred by incessant seismic activity, over 1,100 earthquakes have shaken the region, with the most recent incidents registering magnitudes of 4.0 and 4.2, marking the most potent tremors in the area in four decades.
Understanding the Seismic Phenomenon
Experts attribute the heightened seismic activity in the Campi Flegrei region to a geological phenomenon known as bradyseism. This phenomenon is characterized by the gradual rising or falling of the Earth’s crust due to the filling or emptying of underground magma chambers. While most volcanologists assert that an immediate eruption is not imminent, concerns have risen due to the ground’s current rate of ascent, averaging 1.5 centimeters (0.59 inches) per month. Civil protection minister Nello Musumeci has emphasized that evacuations would only be executed in cases of “extreme necessity.”
The government is expected to allocate additional resources to local civil protection agencies, enabling them to respond swiftly in case of emergencies. Moreover, a communication campaign aimed at raising public awareness of the potential risks associated with the supervolcano’s activity will be funded.
Local media reports have also indicated that a consortium of hospitals within the region will commence evacuation drills starting from Friday. These tests are designed to ensure that the healthcare infrastructure is adequately prepared to cope with the aftermath of stronger earthquakes or possible eruptions.
Notably, the last time Campi Flegrei experienced a comparable surge in earthquakes was during the 1980s, resulting in the temporary evacuation of 40,000 individuals from the nearby town of Pozzuoli. The most significant eruption in this region occurred in 1538, and an even more colossal eruption transpired approximately 39,000 years ago. Some researchers suggest that this ancient eruption may have played a role in the extinction of Neanderthal man, with evidence of the supervolcano’s magma found as far away as Greenland, 2,800 miles (4,500 kilometers) distant.
