Discovering Campi Flegrei, an Active Volcanic Area in Italy

Recently, Italy's Campi Flegrei, a supervolcano region near Naples, experienced its strongest earthquake in decades, highlighting the significance of understanding this unique geological formation.

Overview of Campi Flegrei:

Location and Type:

1. Campi Flegrei, also known as Phlegrean Fields, is an active volcanic area situated in the vicinity of Naples, Italy.
2. Unlike its nearby counterpart, Mount Vesuvius, Campi Flegrei is not a single volcano but a complex volcanic system featuring multiple centers within a caldera.

Formation of the Caldera:

1. The Campi Flegrei caldera, approximately 12-15 kilometers (7.5-9.3 miles) in diameter, formed around 39,000 years ago due to a massive eruption that emptied the magma chambers below.
2. A new hypothesis suggests that this eruption may have marked the beginning of the end for the Neanderthal species.
3. About one-third of the caldera lies beneath the Tyrrhenian Sea, between the Italian mainland and the island of Sardinia.

Active Caldera and Bradyseism:

1. Campi Flegrei has exhibited restless activity since 1950, characterized by a phenomenon called bradyseism.
2. Bradyseism involves the gradual movement of the Earth's surface due to changes in the volume of underground magma chambers or hydrothermal activity.

Last Eruption and Supervolcano Classification:

1. The most recent eruption of Campi Flegrei occurred in 1538, forming Monte Nuovo, a new mountain, after a relatively long dormancy of 3000 years.
2. Scientists classify Campi Flegrei as a supervolcano due to its potential for large-scale eruptions with global implications.

Comparison with Volcanic Craters and Calderas:

1. Volcanic craters are bowl- or funnel-shaped depressions formed at the summit or flanks of volcanoes.
2. They result from the outward explosion of volcanic materials.
3. In contrast, calderas are formed by the inward collapse of a volcano and are typically larger and less circular than craters.

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