Mapping
Source: Yahoo News
Context: Recently, a 4.4 magnitude earthquake struck Italy’s Campi Flegrei supervolcano region, causing mild damage in Pozzuoli and Naples. This quake, part of a recent “seismic storm,” occurred at a depth of three kilometres.
What is Campi Flegrei?
Campi Flegrei (Phlegrean Fields) is an active volcanic area near Naples, Italy, known for its complex volcanic system rather than a single volcano. The region’s caldera, formed 39,000 years ago, spans 12-15 km in diameter, with one-third under the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the largest active caldera in Europe and more active than nearby Mount Vesuvius. Campi Flegrei has been restless since 1950 due to bradyseism, a phenomenon involving surface movement from underground magma chamber activity. Its last eruption in 1538 created Monte Nuovo.
About Italy:
Italy, a European country with a long Mediterranean coastline, has its capital, Rome, and is home to the Vatican as well as landmark art and ancient ruins.
Italy has many volcanoes because it is located on a tectonic plate boundary where the African Plate is subducting beneath the Eurasian Plate. This geological activity creates conditions favourable for volcanic activity, leading to the formation of several active and dormant volcanoes.
