New earthquake swarm in Campi Flegrei, Italy
An earthquake swarm began in the Campi Flegrei area of southern Italy at 07:58 LT (06:58 UTC) on January 13, 2025.
Seismic activity map of Campi Flegrei on January 13, 2025. Image credit: INGV
The Campi Flegrei volcanic area, located near Naples in southern Italy, experienced a seismic swarm starting at 06:58 UTC on January 13.
Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) reported the strongest event in the sequence having a magnitude of 1.2 ± 0.3 with a total of 95 localized earthquakes recorded so far. The depths of earthquakes ranged between 0.2 km (0.1 miles) and 3.1 km (1.9 miles).
The main events included an earthquake at 12:31 UTC with a magnitude of 0.6 ± 0.3 recorded at a depth of 2.9 km (1.8 miles). Another event at 07:04 UTC had a magnitude of 0.4 ± 0.3 with a depth of 1.9 km (1.2 miles). At 07:03 UTC, an earthquake with a magnitude of 1.1 ± 0.3 occurred at a depth of 0.4 km (0.2 miles).
The largest event was at 06:58 UTC with a magnitude of 1.2 ± 0.3 at a depth of 2.1 km (1.3 miles). The nearest seismic station was just 0.5 km (0.3 miles) from the epicenter.
While such events are common in seismically active regions like Campi Flegrei, their shallow nature can lead to increased felt intensity, even at lower magnitudes.
The Campanian volcanoes, Vesuvius, Campi Flegrei, and the island of Ischia, represent the most monitored and studied volcanic areas in the world because of the risk associated with a possible resumption of volcanic activity.
The ongoing swarm adds to the long history of seismic activity in the Campi Flegrei which is a 13 km (8 miles) wide volcanic complex. It encompasses Naples and extends south into the Gulf of Pozzuoli.
The region’s geology is marked by extensive ground deformation, fumarolic activity, and seismicity because of the underlying magmatic and hydrothermal systems.
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Campi Flegrei has experienced cycles of uplift and subsidence since Roman times. Its earliest known volcanic products date back approximately 47 000 years.
The caldera formed after two major explosive eruptions: the Campanian Ignimbrite eruption about 36 000 years ago and the Neapolitan Yellow Tuff (NYT) eruption around 15 000 years ago, which ejected over 40 km3 (9.6 mi3) of material.
After the NYT eruption, numerous smaller eruptions occurred from scattered vents both on land and underwater. Most activity was concentrated in three periods: 15 000 – 9 500 years ago, 8 600 – 8 200 years ago, and 4 800 – 3 800 years ago.
The most recent eruptions were recorded in 1158 CE at Solfatara and in 1538 CE (VEI 3) when the Monte Nuovo cinder cone was formed.
References:
1 Campi Flegrei earthquake swarm – INGV – Accessed on January 13, 2025
2 Campi Flegrei – GVP – Accessed on January 13, 2025
Rishika holds a Master’s in International Studies from Stella Maris College, Chennai, India, where she earned a gold medal, and an MCA from the University of Mysore, Karnataka, India. Previously, she served as a Research Assistant at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India. During her tenure, she contributed as a Junior Writer for Europe Monitor on the Global Politics website and as an Assistant Editor for The World This Week. Her work has also been published in The Hindu newspaper, showing her expertise in global affairs. Rishika is also a recipient of the Women Empowerment Award at the district level in Haryana, India, in 2022.
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