Campi Flegrei: A Video Introduction
Campi Flegrei, which is basically Italy’s Yellowstone, has been getting awfully restless lately. So I thought we’d best pay it some attention.
After scaring the nine hells out of Pozzuoli in the 80s, the caldera went relatively quiet until 2005, when uplift resumed in earnest and seismic activity increased. The ground has risen by a meter since then. Now, that may not sound like much, especially when the bulge on Loowit (Mount St. Helens) was expanding by nearly two meters per day towards the end. But. 94 of those roughly 100 centimeters of uplift have occurred since January of 2011. 10 centimeters over the last 10 months. It’s just a wee bit concerning.
Add in the fact that local residents have been feeling earthquakes and also hearing them roar over the past week, and your attention is definitely got. Right? Mine sure is.
Now, to be clear, calderas do this in their ordinary course of existing. Campi Flegrei is young and active and likes to stretch. Chances of an eruption are still pretty low. Chances of another caldera-forming, civilization-ending megaeruption are fairly infinitesimal.
Even if we see an eruption come of this activity, it will probably be something smol, most likely a phreatic eruption with, perhaps, a side of magma. Less likely is another cinder cone being born, like 1538’s Monte Nuovo. But it’s possible, and any eruption in an area as densely populated as this region is going to cause plenty of chaos, so it’s a good thing Campi Flegrei is intensely monitored.
I’ve spent the last week collecting a library of videos for you. You’ll get a solid look at it’s past and future, plus a terrifying glimpse of its worst-case scenario.
Campi Flegrei News: A concerning threshhold is passed
This is the video that inspired this post. Just keep in mind that in 1984, Pozzuoli was evacuated more due to earthquake damage than eruption fears. We’re not seeing that sort of damage today.
Campi Flegrei: A brief introduction
If you haven’t got much time to watch videos, this short introduction will do you. It’s a very excellent overview, and the hazard assessment at the end is bellissimo.
Natural Concrete?!
One of the weirdest facts about Campi Flegrei is that it’s capped by 100% naturally-occurring concrete. No kidding! Also, you’ll learn how to properly pronounce Pozzuoli.
OZ Geographics: Campi Flegrei’s History
If you’ve got a little more time to devote to Campi Flegrei, this series of short videos covering its past eruptions is really excellent
Part I
Part II
Part III
A Scholarly Take
If you want an actual Italian scientist who actually works on Campi Flegrei to tell you its secrets, then this surprisingly lively lecture is for you!
NOVA documentary
This doc doesn’t cover recent events, but it’s a really lovely exploration of Campi Flegrei suitable for watching with the fam. Just, probably, not with anxious young kids, because there are scary bits and some graphic talk about killer eruptions. I ate that stuff with a spoon and still slept soundly as a child, but I was weird.
The Neanderthal Killer
This duo of documentaries on the Neanderthal and Campi Flegrei are absolutely marvelous. You’ll have such an increased appreciation for our close (sometimes kissing) cousins. And you’ll have excellent proof as to why you shouldn’t keep all your humans in one region.
Skip to Part II if you just want to get to the volcanic mayhem.
Part I
Part II
The Worst-Case Scenario: We’ll all go together when we go…
A potential, horrific, nightmare-inducing, BUT VERY UNLIKELY future scenario. Do you like scientific horror? Do you want to feel better about anthropogenic climate change by imagining how buggered the planet (yes, the entire thing) would be if Campi Flegrei did its worst?
O-kay. However. Please make sure you’re mentally ready to handle this, and also keep the less than 1% chance statistic in mind, because it’s tremendo yikes.
Hopefully you loved some or all of these!
We’ll be returning to 1538 soon, and visiting Campi Flegrei’s most recent eruption. Until then, keep monitoring!
Featured Image: “Pozzuoli and Vesuvius” by Dana Hunter. Original photograph credit: Gianfranco Vitolo (CC BY 2.0)
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