Other meanings of Campanian volcanic arc
Geology
The Campanian volcanic arc is a volcanic arc in southern Italy, extending along the Tyrrhenian Sea coast from the Vulsini area north of Rome to the island of Ischia and the Phlegraean Fields, with Mount Vesuvius as its most famous component. It is part of the wider Roman comagmatic province and results from the subduction of the African plate beneath the Eurasian plate, though the exact geodynamic setting has been debated. The arc hosts some of the most densely populated volcanic areas in the world, posing significant volcanic risk.
The Campanian volcanic arc is the southernmost segment of the Tyrrhenian Sea margin's potassic volcanic province, which also includes the Roman and Vesuvian provinces. It is characterized by high-potassium calc-alkaline to shoshonitic and ultrapotassic rocks, such as leucite-bearing lavas. The arc's origin is linked to the subduction of the Ionian oceanic lithosphere beneath the Calabrian arc, although some models propose mantle upwelling or slab break-off. The volcanic centers include both continental calderas (Campi Flegrei) and stratovolcanoes (Vesuvius), as well as island volcanoes (Ischia, Procida).
The most prominent centers are Mount Vesuvius, which last erupted in 1944, and the Campi Flegrei (Phlegraean Fields), a large caldera with multiple eruptive vents, including Solfatara and Monte Nuovo. Ischia, an island west of Naples, has had recent activity, with its last eruption in 1302. The arc also includes smaller centers like Procida and the Roccamonfina volcano. These volcanoes have produced both effusive and explosive eruptions, with plinian and phreatomagmatic events being common. The Campanian Ignimbrite, a large ignimbrite deposit dated ~39,000 years ago, is among the largest eruptions in the Mediterranean region, with ash layers found across Europe and even in Greenland ice cores.
The arc is one of the most hazardous volcanic regions in the world due to high population density, with ~3 million people living in the immediate vicinity of Vesuvius and Campi Flegrei. The Italian Department of Civil Protection has developed detailed emergency plans for Vesuvius and Campi Flegrei, including zoning and evacuation procedures. Monitoring networks operated by the Vesuvius Observatory (Osservatorio Vesuviano) track seismic activity, ground deformation (bradyseism), and gas emissions. In 1982–1984, Campi Flegrei experienced significant ground uplift, raising concerns of a possible eruption. Risk mitigation includes land-use planning, early warning systems, and public awareness campaigns.
Beyond the famous centers, the arc includes lesser-known volcanic areas such as the island of Procida, formed by submarine and subaerial eruptions, and the isolated volcano Roccamonfina, which has been extinct for over 100,000 years. The arc also contains numerous submarine vents and fumaroles. Historically, the Campi Flegrei was the site of the Monte Nuovo eruption in 1538, one of the few documented cases of a new volcano forming in historical times. The ancient Greeks and Romans recognized the volcanic nature, with authors like Strabo describing the Phlegraean Fields. In modern times, the area has been a natural laboratory for volcanological research, including the study of magma chamber dynamics and the potential for supereruptions.
This article focuses on the Campanian volcanic arc in the context of the Naples region's active volcanoes.
Help improve the encyclopedia. Reports go straight to the site manager.