The strongest earthquake in 40 years hits the Campi Flegrei volcano Technology news

It was part of a 'seismic storm' where multiple earthquakes struck in succession (Image: Rex/Getty)

A volcanic region so powerful that it could put Europe into a new ice age if it erupted was hit by an earthquake yesterday, the strongest to hit the region in decades.

Residents living nearby felt strong tremors when the quake struck at a shallow depth, with items flying off shelves in stores and sending people into the street.

Campi Flegrei, near Naples in southern Italy, is the closest supervolcano to the UK, and scientists are watching it anxiously as it shows signs of being prepared to erupt.

Last night's earthquake, which occurred at 8.10pm local time and was centered in the city of Pozzuoli, had a magnitude of 4.4.

It was part of a “seismic storm,” which occurs when many earthquakes strike in succession over a short period.

Over the course of 48 hours, there were more than a dozen seismic events with a magnitude greater than 2.0.

A study published in the journal Nature last year looked at how Campi flegeri increased its activity, and described how these disturbances changed the structure of its cortex.

Maps show hundreds of seismic events this year as part of the 'seismic storm' of activity at Campi Flegrei (Image: National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology)

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Concerned residents gather in a safe area along the seafront between Naples and Pozzuoli (Photo: IPA/SplashNews.com) The Civil Protection of Campania has created a tension structure in the port of Pozzuoli for people who are not confident of returning to their homes (Photo: Antonio Balasco / LiveMedia / Shutte) The Solvatara crater in Pozzuoli, Italy, pictured last year (Image: EPA) The earthquake struck at a shallow depth so people felt it strongly (Image: Antonio Balasco/LiveMedia/Shutte)

He told us how any volcano that “reawakens after a long dormancy” would have to rupture the crust before the magma could erupt.

The researchers concluded that parts of the volcano had stretched almost to the point of collapse.

Lead author Professor Christopher Kilburn said: “Our new study confirms that Campi Flegrei is approaching a rupture.”

After hundreds of small earthquakes last year, the Italian government was forced to quickly rework its mass evacuation plans.

The volcanic area, also known as the Phlegrain Fields, has not seen a major eruption since 1538, but has the potential to cause devastation if it erupts.

Close to the famous Mount Vesuvius, and close to the densely populated city of Naples.

But a massive eruption would have an impact far beyond just the neighbor living in its shadow.

Unlike a typical mountain-like volcano, Campi Flegrei is a depression 12 to 14 kilometers in diameter – and about 360,000 people now live on its surface, with another 800,000 just outside it.

People wait in the street after the earthquake shocks, near Naples, yesterday (Photo: Antonio Balasco/LiveMedia/Shutte) Temporary shelter set up for people who do not want to return home Photo: Antonio Balasco/LiveMedia/Shutte)

It is the closest active volcano to London, and is less than 2,000 kilometers away by road.

There has not been a true global mega-eruption in 26,000 years, since the Taupo eruption in New Zealand. If one of Earth's “supervolcanoes” were to experience an eruption of this size today, the disturbance would eclipse anything in living memory, making travel problems from the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruption seem like a fleeting blip.

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Scientists can't predict if and when a volcano will release such a powerful convection, but there are 14 volcanoes around the world that are known to have unleashed a massive eruption, with perhaps the most famous being Yellowstone Caldera in Wyoming.

Because Campi Flegrei lies partly under the sea, an eruption could trigger a huge tsunami that engulfs the Mediterranean basin, while ash could fall hundreds of miles away, affecting agriculture and damaging food supplies.

With a volcanic plume potentially reaching 100 miles into the atmosphere, the ash could travel around the world and cause respiratory diseases such as silicosis, caused by inhaling silica, as well as exacerbation of asthma, bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Dr Mike Cassidy, associate professor at the University of Birmingham, said this could cause global temperatures to drop by one to three degrees Celsius due to blocking sunlight from reaching the ground, with rainfall also reduced resulting in potential air currents.

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