Not that we need more disasters.
The Phlegraean Fields are a large volcanic area situated to the west of Naples, Italy.
It was declared a regional park in 2003.
Lying mostly underwater, the area of the caldera consists of 24 craters and volcanic edifices. Hydrothermal activity can be observed at Lucrino, Agnano and the town of Pozzuoli.
The last eruption was in the 1500s…
Today the caldera is home to a regional park, towns, suburbs of Naples, and a cratered surface that occasionally trembles with earthquakes and sends belches of sulfurous gas into the air…
BUT….
NEWSWEEK magazine is reporting on the latest disaster that may befall the Earth:
One of the world’s most dangerous supervolcanoes appears to be accumulating magma as it transitions to a pre-eruption state, a study has found. Scientists do not say that a large eruption is imminent—but they do suggest that current conditions at Campi Flegrei indicate one could happen at “some undetermined point in the future.”
Campi Flegrei is one of the few active supervolcanoes in the world. It is located in southern Italy, about nine miles to the west of Naples, which is home to around 1.5 million people. The last time it erupted was in 1538—a fairly small event known as the Monte Nuovo eruption. However, 40,000 years ago, it produced a “super-colossal” eruption, which is just one down from the “mega-colossal” eruptions recorded at Yellowstone.
In a study published in Science Advances, a team of researchers led by Francesca Forni, from ETH Zurich in Switzerland, examined rock, mineral and glass samples taken from 23 eruptions at Campi Flegrei—including the two biggest from the last 60,000 years. By analyzing the elements within these samples, the researchers were able to construct a picture of what was happening before and after eruptions.
Their findings appear to show that magma is building beneath the volcanic system—and that it is entering a new caldera cycle. This could indicate that the volcano is moving toward a new phase that will result in a large eruption at the site..
While not comforting, it’s worthwhile to note that the study does not indicate a time frame where the next calamity will occur..