Pozzuoli, a charming coastal town near Naples, has become a place where conversations are dominated by apprehension and unpredictability due to seismic activity encircling a supervolcano in the region, known as Campi Flegrei, or the Phlegraean Fields.
The area derives its name from the ancient Greek term for “burning,” a fitting descriptor as sulphurous emissions frequently emerge from the earth, creating an otherworldly ambiance that draws tourists.
Pozzuoli’s residents have grown accustomed to the scent, the emissions, and even the occasional ground tremors. In September alone, more than a thousand minor earthquakes were recorded.
Nonetheless, it was the 4.2 magnitude earthquake on September 27, the most powerful in over four decades, that raised concerns of a potential “seismic crisis.” This term had not been used since the early 1980s.
Although the significant quake did not inflict major structural damage, it, along with approximately 500 smaller tremors in October, has left the residents anxious. Annamaria Scardi, a mother of two teenagers, expressed her concerns, even regarding the minor tremors. The prospect of an impending evacuation adds to their anxiety. Like many others, she wonders where they would relocate if such an order were issued.
Experts have underlined that an imminent volcanic eruption is not a threat, but they are troubled by the ground’s rising and falling, which could destabilize buildings. The ground’s shifting, known as bradyseism, is tied to the filling and draining of magma chambers deep beneath the Earth’s surface.
