Campi Flegrei, Italy Essay, Research Paper

Campi Flegrei, Italy

In the shadows of the renowned volcano Vesuvio lies the volcano of Campi Flegrei. Though it is not as clearly visible as Vesuvio, it is considered on of the most dangerous volcanoes in Italy. Hazards are currently present in the Campi Flegrei area becasue of the dense population in the area and continuing unrest within the caldera and in its immediate surroundings.

The Campi Flegrei is recognized for a phenomenon called “bradyseism” which is the alternating uplift and sinking of the ground within the caldera. Ther hacve been several dramatic uplifts in the past 300 years, with the most recent uplifts in the 1970’s and 1980’s. Two extremely violent explosive eruptions have occurred in the Campi Flegrei are during the past 50 kA, producing the Neapolitan Yellow Tuff. The most recent eruptions have not been as immense and were characterized as small to moderate. The most recent uplifts, however, have not been followed by eruptions, but have caught the attention of many people who have made concentrated efforts to better understand such elaborate volcanic systems. The damage caused by these uplifts has lead to detailed hazard assessments for those living in the vicinity of Campi Flegrei.

Campi Flegrei is considered a potentially dangerous volcanic area. There are a large number of people in the area, particularly in the towns of Pozzuoli , Napoli, and several smaller surrounding villages and towns. The presence of this large population presents an immense problem to authorities and scientists concerned with the constant threat of danger. Pozzuoli is located near the Solfatara crater and above deposits of numerous past eruptions. Napoli, with a population of about two million, is situated strangely between Campi Flegrei and Vesuvio, both of which left their deposits in the city area. Napoli also has a small volcanic center in its southwest region. Though many assume these volcanic centers are inactive; there is no reason to assume this. More large eruptions are actually expected at Campi Flegrei as well as Vesuvio.