Volcano Near Naples Could Reawaken

Mount Vesuvius is practically a household name, cementing itself in infamy when the Italian volcano erupted in AD 79 and killed thousands of people as it buried Pompeii and Herculaneum.

The metropolis of Naples sits in the shadow of Vesuvius, but scientists say residents should be more concerned about Campi Flegrei, an even larger volcano west of the city.

A new study in the scientific journal Nature Communication shows the risks associated with a period of increased geothermal activity in the area. The most recent upswing started in 2005 and involved increased seismic activity and ground uplift. Scientists are concerned this could signal the build-up of magma under the surface, which could lead to a large eruption.

Naples is one of the most densely populated areas of the world, so the super volcano leaves hundreds of thousands of lives at risk; some half a million people live in the immediate area.

Campi Flegrei is a 12-kilometer-wide caldera formed 39,000 years ago by a large volcanic eruption that scientists think may have wiped out the Neanderthals. That’s not exactly comforting news to Italy.