In March, researchers warned that the supervolcano Campi Flegrei in Naples, Italy could erupt sooner than previously assumed. Experts say that the volcano, sits miles from Mt. Vesuvius, has already reached the "critical stage" and such activity could lead to an imminent eruption. The consequences of the eruption could turn Europe into a no-fly zone for months.
The eruption of Campi Flegrei in 1538 scattered boiling hot magma and dense black smog clouds visible in the sky for eight days. Dr. Stefano Carlino, from the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology, has been observing the physical state of the supervolcano's crust to identify its "critical condition."
Dr. Carlino together with his research team drills Campi Flegrei in an effort to predict possible future eruptions. In their analysis, an imminent eruption likely has the same scale to 1538. Considering the recent deformation history and the present signal of the supervolcano, people should expect short-term eruptions like in 1538.
If this analysis is accurate, Dr. Carlino noted, Europe must be prepared as air transportation could be thrown into a complete disaster, suspending flights across European skies. Planes landing and taking off at airports in France, Italy, Spain, and even Britain likely face disruption from Campi Flegrei as pilots will not be able to see through the volcanic dust. Furthermore, Europeans are mainly affected because of a large amount of ash spewed into the high atmosphere.
Despite catastrophic consequences, Dr. Carlino also added that only a deep drilling can confirm and assess the real condition of the crust of the supervolcano, hence preempt an eruption.
Dr. Luca De Siena, from the University of Aberdeen and a professor of geophysics, agrees with the conclusion of Dr. Carlino. The leading volcano expert cited some evidence of magmatic activity at 3-4 km from in the 1980s, suggesting Campi Flegrei's preparation to blow for approximately 40 years.