The Italian Civil Protection has pledged to draw up new evacuation plans targeting a specific phenomenon as a volcano that last erupted in the 16th Century is sparking fears among locals.
Over the past few months, the thousands of people living near the Campi Flegrei supervolcanic calderas west of Naples, in southern Italy, have been concerned about the recorded intense seismic activity.
Fear struck in late September when, at 2.35am (3.35am local time) locals and experts alike recorded the strongest quake in the last 40 years, with a magnitude of 4.2.
In the weeks that followed, dozens of smaller quakes continued to hit the population.
On October 19 alone, a new seismic activity provoked 12 small earthquakes – the strongest of which was magnitude 2.2 – within seven minutes.
READ MORE: ‘Rumblings’ at volcano dormant for millions of years spark fear among locals
These quakes are the result of bradyseismic activity typical of the Campi Flegrei area, which provokes the gradual uplift and subsidence of the surface.
In the wake of the September tremor, Mauro Antonio Di Vito, the director at the Vesuvian Observatory, told Italian news agency ANSA: “Over the past few days, the bradyseism activity has seen a slight acceleration, [which means] the process is continuing and the speed at which the surface is lifting is lightly increasing.”
In light of the quakes and people’s concerns, Italian Civil Protection Minister Nello Musumeci said earlier this month: “We will target a new focus area for bradyseism. An evacuation plan focused on the risk of bradyseism doesn’t yet exist, and must be done.”
On the other hand, a plan to evacuate Campi Flegrei should the supervolcano erupt is already in place.
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The minister, who hopes to have the plan ready by the end of the year, urged the local population to remain calm.
He said: “There is no reason to give in to fear. We will adopt new initiatives to enhance this area. We can’t pretend there are no risks, but we are a long way from living in panic. A population aware of the risks is a population more mature and involved.”
Campi Flegrei, which consists of 24 craters and volcanic edifices, last erupted in 1538.
Over the years, several towns and cities were established in the Campi Flegrei region, and today some 500,000 people live in areas that would be affected by an evacuation plan sparked by a volcanic eruption.
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In late September, Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology President Carlo Doglioni explained there are two possible scenarios regarding the evolution of the ongoing tremors in Campi Flegrei.
One consists of a prolonged bradyseismic activity similar to the one experienced between 1982 and 1984.
The second would see an eruption similar to the one that happened 500 years ago.
Should the surface continue to lift, as it has been happening since 2005, Mr Doglioni also noted more earthquakes may happen, with a magnitude of up to 5.
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