Where did the Naples earthquake hit? Map reveals epicentre was near Campi ... trends now
Europe's only active supervolcano, Campi Flegrei, has experienced two major earthquakes and dozens of tremors in the past week, sparking fears that a devastating eruption could be on the horizon.
A quake with a magnitude of 4.0 on the Richter scale rattled the city of Naples and the surrounding regions at 10pm local time (8PM BST) last night, causing damage to several buildings and spewing rubble into the streets.
That came after last week's 4.2 magnitude quake caused widespread transport cancellations and triggered a week of near-constant tremors.
The epicentre of yesterday's quake was located at a depth of nearly two miles between Naples and nearby Pozzuoli.
Located just nine miles (14.5 km) to the west of Naples, Campi Flegrei has become weaker and more prone to rupturing, making an eruption more likely, according to experts.
An area with fallen rubble is cordoned off in via Pisciarelli, the epicentre of an earthquake, on the border between the municipality of Pozzuoli and Agnano, a hamlet of Naples, Italy, 03 October 2023
A 4.0-magnitude earthquake shook Italy 's volcanic region of Campi Flegrei west of Naples yesterday as shocked residents posted videos of cars being pelted by rubble amid the worst of the tremors
A 4.0-magnitude earthquake late on Monday at the Campi Flegrei (Phlegraean Fields) has heightened concern among people living in the volcanic area near Naples about a recent wave of seismic activity
The Campi Flegrei volcano in southern Italy has become weaker and more prone to rupturing, making an eruption more likely, experts say. Pictured is Solfatara, a shallow volcanic crater that makes up part of Campi Flegrei
Around 360,000 people live in the immediate localities around Campi Flegrei and may need to evacuate if experts think it's in immediate danger of an eruption.
Naples meanwhile, just nine miles away is home to some 3 million people.
Scientists from Italy's National Institute for Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) planned meetings with local officials to draw up evacuation plans this week.
The supervolcano has been restless since the middle of the 20th century, which is of particular worry to scientists.
It has exhibited several two-year periods of unrest in the 1950s, 1970s and 1980s causing small, local earthquakes and ground uplift due to movement of magma beneath the surface.
When the volcano eventually blows it is likely to be comparable in size to the eruption of Mount Vesuvius that destroyed the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum in AD 79.
Campi Flegrei is a collapsed supervolcanic caldera consisting of several craters and volcanic edifices.
A series of small scale earthquakes and tremors have steadily weakened the caldera in recent decades, causing pressure to build up beneath the surface.
The INGV say continued tremors will only cause pressure to increase, cultivating the required conditions for an eventual eruption.
Professor Christopher Kilburn at UCL's Earth Sciences department said that Campi Flegrei is more prone to a 'rupture' – a break or fracture through the rock that makes up the body of the volcano.
'It's a natural result when the volcano is stretched as pressure builds up underground,' Professor Kilburn told MailOnline.
'Once a rupture has occurred, it will be easier for volcanic fluids to
