CAMPI FLEGREI

Copyright infringement not intended

Picture Courtesy: https://au.news.yahoo.com/campi-flegrei-volcanic-crater

Context: The Campi Flegrei supervolcano region near Naples, Italy, has experienced a recent earthquake with a magnitude of 4.4, the strongest in decades.

Details

• The recent earthquake in the Campi Flegrei supervolcano region near Naples, Italy, has raised concerns due to its potential implications for volcanic activity in the area.
• The earthquake had a magnitude of 4.4, making it the strongest earthquake to hit the Campi Flegrei region in decades.
• The earthquake was part of an ongoing "seismic storm," characterized by more than a dozen seismic events over 2.0 magnitude in recent days. The National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) recorded over 1,000 earthquakes in the area in April 2024, although most were extremely mild, with a magnitude of less than 1.0.

Campi Flegrei (also known as the Phlegrean Fields)

• Campi Flegrei is a volcanic area situated near Naples, Italy.
• It is characterised by a complex volcanic system comprising several volcanic centres within a large caldera. A caldera is a depression formed when the roof of a volcano collapses following the emptying of its magma chamber.
• It has a diameter of approximately 12-15 km, making it one of the largest active calderas in Europe.
• It was formed around 39,000 years ago after a massive eruption emptied the magma chamber, leading to the collapse of the volcano's structure.
• About one-third of the caldera lies beneath the Tyrrhenian Sea, between the Italian mainland and the island of Sardinia.
• The eruption of Campi Flegrei approximately 39,000 years ago is hypothesised to have played a role in the decline of the Neanderthal population.
• The most recent significant eruption of Campi Flegrei occurred in 1538, this eruption, although minor compared to earlier events, resulted in the formation of Monte Nuovo, a new volcanic mountain.

 

Source:

Yahoo

Wikipedia

PRACTICE QUESTION Q. What is Campi Flegrei frequently mentioned in the news for? A) Volcanic eruptions B) Earthquake activity C) Geothermal energy exploration D) Archaeological discoveries Answer: A