The new scientific result achieved through the analysis of ground deformations, the modeling of volcanic sources and the petrological simulations on the volcano's activity from 2007 to 2023
Understand if seismic activity, ground deformation and gas emission, phenomena that have progressively increased since 2007 due to the ongoing bradyseism in the Campi Flegrei volcano, involve the movement or accumulation of magma in depth and, therefore, trace its evolution over time.
These are the objectives achieved by a international team of researchers led byNational Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) in collaboration with the 'Roma Tre University andUniversity of Geneva, in the context of “LOVE-CF” project funded by INGV for the multidisciplinary investigation of Campi Flegrei.
The results of the study are reported in the article “Tracking the 2007-2023 magma-driven unrest at Campi Flegrei caldera (Italy)”, recently published in the journal Nature - Communications of Earth and Environment, which addresses these important aspects to define the dynamics and current state of a volcano in a highly populated area.
According to experts, the volcano showed signs of a progressive accumulation of magma at relatively shallow depths.
For years, scientists have been carefully monitoring the activity of Campi Flegrei, the vast volcanic caldera located west of Naples, the volcano known in recent decades for bradyseismic crises.
Using advanced techniques, such as geodesy, numerical simulations and petrology, researchers They managed to map the movement of magma deep within the caldera over a 16-year period, from 2007 to 2023, that is, from the beginning of the new bradyseismic phase of the volcano which still lasts today.
The analysis highlights that the ascent of magma to depths less than 8 km is the main driver of the ongoing activity, characterised by a slow and constant lifting of the ground, which has reached approximately 1,3 metres in the Rione Terra of Pozzuoli from 2006 to today.
Considering different scenarios, The researchers deduced that the source of deformation has become progressively more superficial over the years, from about 6 km to about 4 km deep. This source is the result of the rise of magma and magmatic gases from the main accumulation area, at a depth of 8 km, to lower depths.
Furthermore, the rise of magma and magmatic gases has contributed to the intensification of seismic activity and to the increase in gas emission phenomena, particularly in the Solfatara area, which iconographically represents one of the main volcanic manifestations of the caldera.
Experts warn that, although there are currently no signs of an imminent eruption, however, the possible continued accumulation of magma and the increase in pressure underground represent a risk that must continue to be monitored and managed with great care.
"It is essential to constantly monitor the behavior of this volcano, especially considering that it is located in one of the most densely populated areas of Europe", declares Elisa Trasatti, researcher at the INGV National Earthquake Observatory and coordinator of the research group. “In recent decades, the network for measuring ground deformations via GNSS has reached a very high level of technological development for the number of stations throughout the volcanic area, and for the reliability of data processing, which is acquired continuously and processed daily. Furthermore,” continues the researcher, “the satellite data has allowed a reconstruction with large areal coverage. Thanks to the high quality of the data, it has been possible to develop advanced models to identify the cause of the monitored deformations. This has allowed us to take a further step in determining the origin of the activity of the Campi Flegrei”.
Mauro Antonio Di Vito, Director of the INGV Vesuvius Observatory and co-author of the study, says “Any statement regarding the activity of Campi Flegrei must be carefully considered. Although it is not possible to define with certainty the presence of magma at about 4 km depth, the study establishes for the first time that magma, rising from 8 km, is the main driver of the activity underway at Campi Flegrei. Although there are currently no imminent signs of an eruption, the continued accumulation of magma and the increase in pressure in the subsurface represent a risk that must not be ignored”.
Valerio Acocella, Professor at Roma Tre University, Research Associate at INGV and co-author of the study, explains: "This study provides important elements to better understand and constrain the current state of the Campi Flegrei magmatic system". It also underlines the importance of international collaboration: "The study also demonstrates how important it is to integrate different disciplines and use the expertise of different institutions to address complex problems such as that of Campi Flegrei. Only through a multidisciplinary approach can we hope to fully understand the dynamics of volcanoes".
Scientists point out that the volcano is constantly monitored through a dense multi-parametric network that allows to detect even the smallest changes in the caldera.
"The most recent data, from 2023 to today, show similarities with what was observed in the previous 16 years, with a slight intensification of the manifestations. Therefore, at the moment there is no reason to believe that the magmatic activity is not still continuing as defined in the study. We are constantly in contact with the Civil Protection to ensure that every little development is followed with the utmost attention" concludes Mauro A. DiVito.
Useful links:
INGV
(Link surface Observables to sub-Volcanic plumbing-system: a multidisciplinary approach for Eruption forecasting at Cextensive FI would read the caldera, Italy)
Understand if seismic activity, ground deformation and gas emission, phenomena that have progressively increased since 2007 due to the ongoing bradyseism in the Campi Flegrei volcano, involve the movement or accumulation of magma in depth and, therefore, trace its evolution over time.
These are the objectives achieved by a international team of researchers led byNational Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) in collaboration with the 'Roma Tre University andUniversity of Geneva, in the context of “LOVE-CF” project funded by INGV for the multidisciplinary investigation of Campi Flegrei.
The results of the study are reported in the article “Tracking the 2007-2023 magma-driven unrest at Campi Flegrei caldera (Italy)”, recently published in the journal Nature - Communications of Earth and Environment, which addresses these important aspects to define the dynamics and current state of a volcano in a highly populated area.
According to experts, the volcano showed signs of a progressive accumulation of magma at relatively shallow depths.
For years, scientists have been carefully monitoring the activity of Campi Flegrei, the vast volcanic caldera located west of Naples, the volcano known in recent decades for bradyseismic crises.
Using advanced techniques, such as geodesy, numerical simulations and petrology, researchers They managed to map the movement of magma deep within the caldera over a 16-year period, from 2007 to 2023, that is, from the beginning of the new bradyseismic phase of the volcano which still lasts today.
The analysis highlights that the ascent of magma to depths less than 8 km is the main driver of the ongoing activity, characterised by a slow and constant lifting of the ground, which has reached approximately 1,3 metres in the Rione Terra of Pozzuoli from 2006 to today.
Considering different scenarios, The researchers deduced that the source of deformation has become progressively more superficial over the years, from about 6 km to about 4 km deep. This source is the result of the rise of magma and magmatic gases from the main accumulation area, at a depth of 8 km, to lower depths.
Furthermore, the rise of magma and magmatic gases has contributed to the intensification of seismic activity and to the increase in gas emission phenomena, particularly in the Solfatara area, which iconographically represents one of the main volcanic manifestations of the caldera.
Experts warn that, although there are currently no signs of an imminent eruption, however, the possible continued accumulation of magma and the increase in pressure underground represent a risk that must continue to be monitored and managed with great care.
"It is essential to constantly monitor the behavior of this volcano, especially considering that it is located in one of the most densely populated areas of Europe", declares Elisa Trasatti, researcher at the INGV National Earthquake Observatory and coordinator of the research group. “In recent decades, the network for measuring ground deformations via GNSS has reached a very high level of technological development for the number of stations throughout the volcanic area, and for the reliability of data processing, which is acquired continuously and processed daily. Furthermore,” continues the researcher, “the satellite data has allowed a reconstruction with large areal coverage. Thanks to the high quality of the data, it has been possible to develop advanced models to identify the cause of the monitored deformations. This has allowed us to take a further step in determining the origin of the activity of the Campi Flegrei”.
Mauro Antonio Di Vito, Director of the INGV Vesuvius Observatory and co-author of the study, says “Any statement regarding the activity of Campi Flegrei must be carefully considered. Although it is not possible to define with certainty the presence of magma at about 4 km depth, the study establishes for the first time that magma, rising from 8 km, is the main driver of the activity underway at Campi Flegrei. Although there are currently no imminent signs of an eruption, the continued accumulation of magma and the increase in pressure in the subsurface represent a risk that must not be ignored”.
Valerio Acocella, Professor at Roma Tre University, Research Associate at INGV and co-author of the study, explains: "This study provides important elements to better understand and constrain the current state of the Campi Flegrei magmatic system". It also underlines the importance of international collaboration: "The study also demonstrates how important it is to integrate different disciplines and use the expertise of different institutions to address complex problems such as that of Campi Flegrei. Only through a multidisciplinary approach can we hope to fully understand the dynamics of volcanoes".
Scientists point out that the volcano is constantly monitored through a dense multi-parametric network that allows to detect even the smallest changes in the caldera.
"The most recent data, from 2023 to today, show similarities with what was observed in the previous 16 years, with a slight intensification of the manifestations. Therefore, at the moment there is no reason to believe that the magmatic activity is not still continuing as defined in the study. We are constantly in contact with the Civil Protection to ensure that every little development is followed with the utmost attention" concludes Mauro A. DiVito.
Useful links:
INGV
(Link surface Observables to sub-Volcanic plumbing-system: a multidisciplinary approach for Eruption forecasting at Cextensive FI would read the caldera, Italy)
Fig. 1: Monitoring of ground deformations at Campi Flegrei from 2007 to 2023. (A) Progressive horizontal deformations obtained with the GNSS geodetic network managed by INGV - Osservatorio Vesuviano. B) Vertical deformations obtained by processing satellite data from Envisat of the European Space Agency (ESA) and COSMO-SkyMed of the Italian Space Agency (ASI). The edges of the caldera are shown in black. C) Ground uplift in the Rione Terra of Pozzuoli from 2007 to 2023.
Fig. 2: Interpretative scheme of the Campi Flegrei power supply system from 2007 to 2023. Modeling of ground deformation data during 2007-2023 and petrologic simulations allowed to define the ascent of magma from 8 km depth. This caused the expansion of a deformation source at shallower depths, which from about 6 km reached about 4 km since 2015. Although it is not possible to define with certainty the presence of magma at 4 km, the study establishes for the first time that magma rising from the accumulation zone at 8 km depth is the main driver of the ongoing volcanic activity at Campi Flegrei, which involves slow ground uplift, degassing at the Solfatara, and seismic crises.