Will Europe soon be facing a massive volcanic eruption?
Scientists have declared that the giant volcanic sites of southern Italy (Phlegraean Fields or Campi Flegrei) were huge reserves of magma as they were preparing to explode to "an indeterminate point in the future".
The large Campi Flegrei volcano is made up of 24 volcanic craters and scientists have discovered that it is recovering magma as part of the "pre-blast" transition phase.
Experts said no eruptions will be expected in the near future, but the volcano has shown signs of major unrest over the past 60 years.
When the volcano finally erupts, its explosion will probably be similar to that of Mount Vesuvius, which destroyed the cities of Pompey and Herculaneum.
The Phlegraean Fields (Campi Flegrei) are located about 14.5 km west of Naples (Napoli), one of the few active volcanoes in the world.
The volcano has not exploded since 1538 but it is capable of creating a "very big" eruption. Scientists have found evidence of such an event about 40,000 years ago.
The Campi Flegrei explosion will be the second largest category of volcanic eruptions, following the "massive explosions" of Yellowstone, and could cause widespread destruction throughout modern Europe.
"If this eruption occurs, the best estimate of its magnitude and behavior is that it will go from the last eruption of the Monte Novo volcano in 1583 to something similar to the eruption of Vesuvius that covered both Pompey and Herculaneum, "said Christopher Kilburn, a volcanologist at London College.
According to the scientists, 1.5 million people living around the Caldera (one of the geomorphological phenomena associated with volcanoes, word used to express large volcanic craters resembling large basins in volcanic peaks) are the most at risk in case of volcanic eruption.
The results of the study revealed that magma accumulated beneath the main volcano, indicating its entry into the next phase. Analysis of 23 rock and mineral samples from Campi Flegrei revealed slight changes in temperature, moisture content and magma.
These factors have been marked by "great periods of turmoil" since the 1950s, raising fears that the volcano will wake up at any time.
Source: Come2innovate
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