The Italian city of Naples was hit with a powerful 4.0-magnitude earthquake on the evening of Monday, October 2. Pictures and videos of the natural disaster show cars being hit with rubble during the tremors, as terrified residents tried to seek shelter.
This seismic activity is part of increased seismic activity in recent days with a series of tremors and is concerning since half a million people live in the regions around it. It could be devastating if an eruption occurred, which could have been triggered by yesterday’s quake.
The National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) and University College London (UCL) found this past June that the volcano was edging towards ‘breaking point’ – something we need to pay attention to and take action against before it’s too late.
Powerful earthquake rattles Italian city of Naples https://t.co/M39HIeiYYe via @MailOnline
— Bo Snerdley (@BoSnerdley) October 3, 2023
Campi Flegrei west of Naples is the largest active supervolcano in Europe and last erupted in 1538. It consists of several craters and volcanic edifices, where pressure has steadily built up beneath the surface due to small scale earthquakes and tremors over decades – creating conditions for an eventual eruption.
Professor Christopher Kilburn at UCL’s Earth Sciences department also explained that “it’s a natural result when the volcano is stretched as pressure builds up underground.”
Furthermore, if an eruption did occur, it could cause a magnitude eight eruption capable of discharging more than 200 cubic miles worth material – similar to that which destroyed Pompeii in 79 AD or Herculaneum centuries ago.
Serious damage in Agnano, #Italy after the shallow (34m depth) 4.0 earthquake that shook Naples. pic.twitter.com/KAuteOVbJP
— Jack Straw (@JackStr42679640) October 3, 2023
This week saw a 4.2-magnitude quake recorded, stronger than anything seen in 40 years – something local residents are furious about since they feel abandoned by civil protection agencies who took three hours after being called on scene.
Civil protection minister Nello Musumeci cautioned against alarmism yet still planned meetings with officials in Naples to expedite plans for evacuation if needed while INGV director Mario Di Vito warned that ‘it is possible that there will be tremors of greater intensity’.
Dr Lara Mani from Cambridge University further commented on how NASA pumps hundreds of millions into asteroid threats annually but there’s a severe lack of global financing for volcano preparedness which urgently needs change before it’s too late since volcanoes pose one of greatest risks to human life today – far greater than asteroids or comets colliding with Earth.
