According to researchers, the Campi Flegrei volcano in southern Italy, close to Naples, has a crust that is weakening and becoming more susceptible to rupture, increasing the probability of a volcanic eruption. The recent study has also warned that the long-dormant supervolcano in Italy is coming closer to a probable eruption for the first time since 1538, with potentially catastrophic consequences. Kilauea Volcano Eruption Photos and Video: One of the World's Most Active Volcanoes Begins Erupting on Hawaii’s Big Island, No Threat to Communities Due to Lava Flows.

An hour's drive away from Mount Vesuvius, the volcano famed for burying Pompei nearby, presents a greater threat to the local community and the rest of the world. The enormous underground volcano complex is inhabited by more than 1.5 million people, and its 11 km crater is home to 500,000 people. Pozzuoli has 80,000 residents and is tucked between the Mediterranean and Campi Flegrei. It is the largest metropolitan centre located in the 'red zone,' the region most likely to be struck by pyroclastic flows, which are swiftly moving volcanic gas clouds. Mayon Valcano in Philippines to Erupt? Phivolcs Raises Albay's Mayon Volcano to Alert Level 2, Urges People to Cover Their Nose and Mouth.

Pompeii was destroyed by Vesuvius about 2,000 years ago, while the enormous volcanic Campi Flegrei region near Naples last erupted in 1538. A 30,000-year-old eruption of the Campi Flegrei volcano is thought to have played a role in the extinction of Neanderthal man.

The volcano has the shape of a gradual dip of 12 to 14 km across, unlike a conventional mountain. The volcano has been mostly calm since the early 1980s when activity spiked again, forcing the evacuation of 40,000 residents. The caldera of this volcano was weakened by thousands of tiny earthquakes that have occurred since the 1950s.

The study concluded that although Campi Flegrei may be closer to rupturing, there is no assurance that this will really cause an eruption. "The rupture may open a crack through the crust, but the magma still needs to be pushing up at the right location for an eruption to occur," said Professor Christopher Kilburn, lead author of the study.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 27, 2023 10:54 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).