Naples

Meanwhile, Scientific American asks – will Italy's supervolcano erupt soon?(sent in by Jovan) – go to www.scientificamerican.com/article/will-italy-rsquo-s-ominous-supervolca… …. this question  comes a few weeks after an 11 year old boy ventured on to an old volcano near Naples and fell into a fissure. His parents tried to pull him out but floor of the crater crumbled and they all died – watched by a younger child. This volcano is part of a network of 2 dozen craters known as the Phlegrian Fields, and the web of volcanos stretches out beneath the Gulf of Naplies (alongside the densely populated Naples metropolitan area). It is claimed it erupted as a supervolcano 200,000 years ago – and 40,000 years ago (during major geological changes). The Phlegrian Fields last erupted over 8 days in 1538 but the region has been active more recently. In 1982 the ground was lifted up by 110 cm – but activity stopped in 1983. Roads, houses and a hospital were damaged.