Phlegraean Fields

For the submarine volcanoes south of Sicily, see Campi Flegrei Mar Sicilia.
Phlegraean Fields
The Phlegraean Fields, seen from the Hermitage of Camaldoli in Naples
Highest point
Elevation458 m (1,503 ft)[1]
Coordinates40°49′37″N 14°08′20″E / 40.827°N 14.139°E / 40.827; 14.139[1]
Naming
Native nameCampi Flegrei (Italian)
Geography
Map
LocationMetropolitan City of Naples, Campania, Italy
Geology
Rock age40,000 years
Mountain typeCaldera[1]
Volcanic arc/beltCampanian volcanic arc
Last eruption29 September to 6 October 1538[1]
A 1911 map of the Phlegraean Fields
A topographic relief map of the Phlegraean Fields
A topographic relief map of the Gulf of Naples with the Phlegraean Fields and Mount Vesuvius
A satellite photo of the Phlegraean Fields

The Phlegraean Fields (Italian: Campi Flegrei, Italian: [ˈkampi fleˈɡrɛːi]; Neapolitan: Campe Flegree) is a large caldera volcano west of Naples, Italy.[a] It is part of the Campanian volcanic arc, which includes Mount Vesuvius, about 9 km (6 miles) east of Naples. The Phlegraean Fields is monitored by the Vesuvius Observatory.[6] It was declared a regional park in 2003.

The area of the caldera consists of 24 craters and volcanic edifices. Most of them lie under the Gulf of Naples. There are effusive gaseous manifestations in the Solfatara crater, which was believed in ancient Rome to be the home of Vulcan, the god of fire.[7] The area features bradyseismic phenomena, which are most evident at the Macellum of Pozzuoli, misidentified as a temple of Serapis: bands of boreholes left by marine molluscs on marble columns show that the level of the site in relation to sea level has varied. Hydrothermal activity can still be observed at Lucrino, Agnano and the town of Pozzuoli.

At present, the Phlegraean Fields area comprises the Naples districts of Agnano and Fuorigrotta, the area of Pozzuoli, Bacoli, Monte di Procida, Quarto, the Phlegraean Islands, Ischia, Procida and Vivara.[citation needed]

The Solfatara crater was accessible on foot until 2017 and contains many steam-emitting fumaroles and over 150 pools, at the last count, of boiling mud. Several subsidiary cones and tuff craters, one filled by Lake Avernus, lie within the caldera.

  1. ^ a b c d "Campi Flegrei". Global Volcanism Program. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 2016-12-23.
  2. ^ Howard, Brian Clark (22 December 2016). "One of Earth's Most Dangerous Supervolcanoes Is Rumbling". Nationalgeographc.com. National Geographic. Archived from the original on April 5, 2021.
  3. ^ de Silva, Shanaka (2008). "Arc magmatism, calderas, and supervolcanos". Geology. 36 (8): 671. Bibcode:2008Geo....36..671D. doi:10.1130/focus082008.1.
  4. ^ "Questions About Supervolcanoes". Volcanic Hazards Program. USGS Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. 2015-08-21. Archived from the original on 3 July 2017. Retrieved 2017-08-22.
  5. ^ Scarpati, Claudio; Cole, Paul; Perrotta, Annamaria (1993). "The Neapolitan Yellow Tuff — A large volume multiphase eruption from Campi Flegrei, Southern Italy". Bulletin of Vulcanology. 55 (5): 343–356. Bibcode:1993BVol...55..343S. doi:10.1007/BF00301145.
  6. ^ "Campi Flegrei - stato attuale". Vesuvius Observatory. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  7. ^ Kozák, Jan; Čermák, Vladimír, eds. (2010). "Phleghraean Fields". The Illustrated History of Natural Disasters. Dordrecht and Heidelberg: Springer Verlag. pp. 67–71. doi:10.1007/978-90-481-3325-3_6. ISBN 978-90-481-3325-3. LCCN 2010920318.


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