Latest news with #supervolcano
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Climate
- Daily Mail
Scientists warn one of world's supervolcanoes is awakening and 'will plunge the planet into chaos'
A powerful series of earthquakes at Campi Flegrei, a supervolcano in Italy, has raised fresh concerns among scientists about the risk of a major eruption. In May, the Phlegraean Fields near Naples was shaken by a magnitude 4.4 earthquake, the strongest in 40 years. Over the past six months, scientists have recorded more than 3,000 smaller quakes, known as tremors, a figure far above normal seismic activity for the area. Experts say eruptions are usually preceded with the increase in earthquake activity, as underground pressure builds up. These small quakes can weaken the rock above the volcano's magma chamber, making it easier for magma to push through. Think of it like steam building in a pressure cooker: if the lid gets too weak, it could blow. Geologists have also observed a sharp rise in gases being released from the volcano, another warning sign. Adding to the alarm, carbon dioxide emissions from Campi Flegrei have surged, with Italy's National Institute Of Geophysics And Volcanology (INGV) reporting daily levels between 4,000 and 5,000 tons. Experts say increased gas emissions often mean magma is moving closer to the surface, putting more pressure on the volcano. According to INGV, magma is now just a few miles below the surface, a shallow depth that raises more concern. If pressure continues to build, it could trigger an eruption with little warning, especially with all the recent quakes and gas releases. Christopher Kilburn, leading volcanologist of IGNV, said: 'Distinguishing between gas emissions caused by magma movement versus those resulting from natural rock interactions is absolutely critical.' Campi Flegrei poses a serious threat to over four million people living in the metropolitan area of Naples. If it erupts, the damage could be widespread. Buildings could be destroyed by lava flows, ash clouds, and fast-moving hot gases. Roads, power, and water supplies might be cut off, making life dangerous and chaotic. The city of Naples and nearby towns like Pozzuoli sit close to the Campi Flegrei, putting many lives and homes in the danger zone. A new study led by Gianmarco Buono, a PhD student at University Of Naples Federico II, shows that about 80 per cent of the carbon dioxide released from the Solfatara crater comes directly from magma beneath the Earth's surface. This means the magma is letting out gases, which is a strong sign it might be moving closer to the surface. The other 20 per cent of the gas comes from hot fluids reacting with underground rocks, a natural process that doesn't always mean an eruption is coming. Scientists watch these gas releases along with ground swelling and thousands of small earthquakes because they are key warning signs of future eruptions. When magma moves up, it pushes gases out, building pressure inside the volcano. Too much pressure can cause cracks and trigger a dangerous eruption. Campi Flegrei means 'burning fields'. It's a big volcanic crater formed when a huge eruption thousands of years ago made the ground above the magma chamber collapse. Campi Flegrei's last eruption was in 1538. While it doesn't erupt often - major eruptions happen every few thousand years - the volcano has shown signs of unrest in recent decades. Scientists say it's not possible to predict exactly when the next eruption will happen, but the recent activity means it could come sooner rather than later. Since 2005, the ground in the area has been slowly rising and falling in a process called bradyseism. This happens when magma and gas build up underground, pushing the surface up or letting it sink back down. For example, in the nearby town of Pozzuoli, the ground has risen by about 4.7ft during the current phase. This is like the Earth's surface gently swelling like a balloon as magma pushes from below. Using a mechanical failure model, commonly applied in structural engineering, they studied how the rock beneath Campi Flegrei is responding to stress. Their findings suggest the crust is shifting from simply bending to cracking, a change that often precedes eruptions. 'We are seeing a clear progression toward a state where rupture is more likely,' the scientists noted. Since rising warning signs began in 2005, officials raised the volcano's alert level from green to yellow in 2012. Authorities have developed comprehensive evacuation plans for the millions living in the metropolitan area of Naples, but the challenge remains in ensuring these plans can be executed swiftly and effectively should an eruption become imminent. Campi Flegrei's threat is not just local. About 40,000 years ago, the caldera erupted with such force that it caused one of the worst volcanic disasters in Earth's history, triggering major changes in the global climate. If a similar eruption happened today, its impact would reach far beyond Italy. Ash clouds could blanket much of Europe, grounding flights, damaging crops, and cutting power. Volcanic gases could block sunlight, causing years of cooler temperatures and unpredictable weather that would threaten food supplies worldwide.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Scientists warn one of world's supervolcanoes is awakening: 'It will plunge the planet into chaos'
A powerful series of earthquakes at Campi Flegrei, a massive supervolcano in Italy has raised fresh concerns among scientists about the risk of a major eruption. In May, the Phlegraean Fields near Naples was shaken by a magnitude 4.4 earthquake, the strongest in 40 years. Over the past six months, scientists have recorded more than 3,000 smaller quakes, known as tremors, a figure far above normal seismic activity for the area. Experts say eruptions are usually preceded with the increase in earthquake activity, as underground pressure builds up. These small quakes can weaken the rock above the volcano's magma chamber, making it easier for magma to push through. Think of it like steam building in a pressure cooker, if the lid gets too weak, it could blow. Geologists have also observed a sharp rise in gases being released from the volcano, another warning sign. Adding to the alarm, carbon dioxide emissions from Campi Flegrei have surged, with Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) reporting daily levels between 4,000 and 5,000 tons. Experts say increased gas emissions often mean magma is moving closer to the surface, putting more pressure on the volcano. According to Italy 's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), magma is now just a few miles below the surface, a shallow depth that raises more concern. If pressure continues to build, it could trigger an eruption with little warning, especially with all the recent quakes and gas releases. Christopher R. J. Kilburn, leading volcanologist of IGNV said: 'Distinguishing between gas emissions caused by magma movement versus those resulting from natural rock interactions is absolutely critical.' Campi Flegrei poses a serious threat to over four million people living in the metropolitan area of Naples. If it erupts, the damage could be widespread. Buildings could be destroyed by lava flows, ash clouds, and fast-moving hot gases. Roads, power, and water supplies might be cut off, making life dangerous and chaotic. The city of Naples and nearby towns like Pozzuoli sit close to the Campi Flegrei, putting many lives and homes in the danger zone. A new study led by Gianmarco Buono, a PhD student at University of Naples Federico II shows that about 80 percent of the carbon dioxide released from the Solfatara crater comes directly from magma beneath the Earth's surface. This means the magma is letting out gases, which is a strong sign it might be moving closer to the surface. The other 20 percent of the gas comes from hot fluids reacting with underground rocks, a natural process that doesn't always mean an eruption is coming. Scientists watch these gas releases along with ground swelling and thousands of small earthquakes because they are key warning signs for future eruptions. When magma moves up, it pushes gases out, building pressure inside the volcano. Too much pressure can cause cracks and trigger a dangerous eruption. Campi Flegrei means 'burning fields.' It's a big volcanic crater formed when a massive eruption thousands of years ago made the ground above the magma chamber collapse. Campi Flegrei's last eruption was in 1538. While it doesn't erupt often, major eruptions happen every few thousand years, the volcano has shown signs of unrest in recent decades. Scientists say it's not possible to predict exactly when the next eruption will happen, but the recent activity means it could come sooner rather than later. Since 2005, the ground in the area has been slowly rising and falling in a process called bradyseism. This happens when magma and gas build up underground, pushing the surface up or letting it sink back down. For example, in the nearby town of Pozzuoli, the ground has risen by about 4.7 feet during the current phase. This is like the Earth's surface gently swelling like a balloon as magma pushes from below. Using a mechanical failure model, commonly applied in structural engineering, they studied how the rock beneath Campi Flegrei is responding to stress. Their findings suggest the crust is shifting from simply bending to cracking, a change that often precedes eruptions. 'We are seeing a clear progression toward a state where rupture is more likely,' the scientists noted. Since rising warning signs began in 2005, officials raised the volcano's alert level from green to yellow in 2012. Authorities have developed comprehensive evacuation plans for the millions living in the metropolitan area of Naples, but the challenge remains in ensuring these plans can be executed swiftly and effectively should an eruption become imminent. Campi Flegrei's threat is not just local. About 40,000 years ago, Campi Flegrei erupted with such force that it caused one of the worst volcanic disasters in Earth's history, triggering major changes in the global climate. If a similar eruption happened today, its impact would reach far beyond Italy. Ash clouds could blanket much of Europe, grounding flights, damaging crops, and cutting power. Volcanic gases could block sunlight, causing years of cooler temperatures and unpredictable weather that would threaten food supplies worldwide.
Daily Mail
23-05-2025
- Science
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Earthquake rocks US city miles from supervolcano as fears of overdue eruption return
A small town in Idaho sitting near the Yellowstone supervolcano has been rocked by an early morning earthquake, possibly signaling a future eruption. The US Geological Survey (USGS) reported that a 3.6 magnitude quake struck southeastern Idaho near the town of Soda Springs at 9:08am ET Friday morning. The small rural town is just 126 miles from the Yellowstone's caldera, the bowl-shaped volcanic depression within the famous national park. According to early data from USGS, the quake was located at a shallow depth of just over 10 miles beneath the surface. Shallow earthquakes are felt more strongly than deeper ones as they are closer to the surface, but they rarely cause any damage to property or buildings. While geologists are still investigating the Friday morning quake, the Yellowstone supervolcano influences seismic activity in this region due to its massive magma chamber and connected fault lines. It generates 1,500 to 2,000 small earthquakes each year, most of which are weaker than 2.0 on the Richter scale of magnitude. These tremors usually shake areas within the Yellowstone Caldera and nearby fault zones, but the supervolcano can also influence seismic activity over 100 miles away. A new study recently showed that Yellowstone's magma chamber is just 2.3 miles or about 12,500 feet below Earth's surface. Since it has not exploded in about 640,000 years, some experts and locals believe the volcano's next eruption is overdue. An dramatic uptick in seismic activity is often a sign that a volcano may soon erupt. Earthquakes around Yellowstone are driven by magma movement, hydrothermal activity, and regional tectonic stresses in the Intermountain Seismic Belt - an 800-mile an active fault region stretching through Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana. Scientists from USGS discovered a newly opened volcanic vent in Norris Geyser Basin in 2024. The vent is at the foot of a rhyloite lava flow, and is spewing hot steam up into the air. Back in 2003, a similar vent was spotted just on the other side of the same rhyolite lava flow.
