A magnitude 4.2 earthquake shook a volcanic field near Naples early Wednesday. It is the largest earthquake in almost forty years, but it does not appear to have caused any damage, according to Italian authorities.
The event took place at 03:35 local time (01:35 GMT), reported the Italian Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV). Since the beginning of the day on Tuesday, more than 60 seismic events have been recorded. The shock “was felt by the population but, according to the first controls, no damage was recorded until
present,” Italy’s civil protection agency said in a statement.
Volcanic area at risk
The Phlegraean Fields, a volcanic region on the western outskirts of Naples, are under constant surveillance due to the risk of an earthquake or volcanic eruption.
“The dynamics of the Phlegraean fields are constantly monitored by the surveillance networks of the Vesuvius Observatory, in close contact with the Department of Civil Protection,” said Mauro Di Vito, director of the Vesuvius Observatory, INGV.
The area is also subject to bradysism, upward or downward movements of the ground. The ascending phases “are accompanied by intense local seismic activity,” indicates Civil Protection on its website.
Source: BFM TV
