The ardent tremors continue unstoppingly in the southern Italian region sitting atop a supervolcano.
In the early hours of Saturday, at 5:44 AM, a 3.9 magnitude earthquake shook the area around Campi Flegrei, close to Naples, its tremors also palpable in the center of Naples.
The epicenter of the seismic activity was located in the sea gulf next to the town of Bacoli, at a depth of 3 kilometers.
The Mayor of Bacoli, Josi Gerardo Della Ragione, described the earthquake as a strong shudder that caused many to panic and flee to the streets. Nevertheless, he reported no knowledge of any damages or injuries. This was one of the strongest tremors since the seismic processes restarted in the region near Naples. Last year, a 4.2 magnitude quake was also recorded in the same area. “We are in continuous communication with the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology, constantly monitoring the situation,” stated the mayor.
In the Campi Flegrei area, which witnessed its last volcanic eruption in 1538, such frequent seismic movements have not been experienced in forty years. This region, underlain by a complex of numerous craters and geysers, poses a heightened risk, nearly magnifying to a supervolcano.
Regarding the increasing volcanic activity near Campi Flegrei, Szabolcs Harangi, a professor at the Department of Volcanology, Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE), wrote in the Volcano Blog in September: “Most researchers clearly consider that for the inhabitants around the Gulf of Naples, not Mount Vesuvius, but Campi Flegrei represents a greater volcanic threat. The current earthquake swarms and surface uplift indicate that a volcanic eruption is bound to happen sooner or later.”