Index – Science – If one of the Italian volcanoes erupted at any time, half a million people could be in immediate danger

Based on its name, many people do not know it, but in the near future we will hear more about the Campi Flegre volcano in the Gulf of Bosuvoli near Naples, which, according to experts, is in a dangerous state, i.e. It can explode at any time.

Although the volcano is much smaller than Vesuvius, it is located nearby, and half a million people live in the immediate vicinity of the area, also known as the Flegrei field in Hungarian, who may be in immediate danger due to the risk of eruption. , writes Guardian.

Campi Flegre (Plegreon Fields) Volcano is less well known than Vesuvius, but much more dangerous.

– said Stefano Carlino, co-author of the study.

Vesuvius wiped Pompeii off the map nearly two thousand years ago, while the massive Campi Flegrei region near Naples spewed lava and ash for the last time in 1538.

However, Campi Flegrei should not be taken lightly – according to experts, volcanic eruptions 30,000 years ago may have contributed to the extinction of Neanderthal man.

At first glance, it may seem less dangerous, because instead of the usual peak shape, Campi Flegre is an elongated depression with a diameter of 12-14 km, the activity of which led to the evacuation of 40,000 people. In the early 1980s, but the volcano has been relatively quiet since then.

The researchers cautioned against panicking about the possibility of an eruption, but judging by the current results, it is likely to happen soon.

We are not saying that there will be an explosion, but the current conditions are very favorable for an explosion.

said Christopher Kilburn of University College London.

The pressure is mounting, and half a million people live in the red zone

Since tens of thousands of small earthquakes since the 1950s have weakened the caldera, the aquifer above the volcano, the researchers’ worries are unfounded.

The Connections of nature Earth and environment A report published in the press on Friday said that “parts of the volcano have stretched almost to the breaking point.”

In addition, the number of earthquakes in the region has continued to increase since 2019, while underground pressure continues to increase. Tremors and subterranean uplift are cumulative, meaning that volcanic activity does not need to intensify, causing an eruption.

A potential eruption may be preceded by relatively weak signals such as small upheavals and small earthquakes

– Alert the authors of the study.

All this really worries the authorities, because almost five hundred thousand people live in the area designated by the Italian civil defense authorities as a red zone – a high-risk area. Another 800,000 people live in the yellow zone with a low risk classification.

To prepare for the worst-case scenario, the authorities have already prepared an evacuation plan, during which if anything goes wrong, they will evacuate all residents from the site either by their own means or by public transport within three days. The risk level – green, yellow, orange and red – is reviewed monthly.

The alert level in Pozzuoli is currently yellow

Giordana Mobilio, a spokeswoman for the council, said local residents were alerted to tremors of magnitude 1.5 or higher.