Active volcano drill project to reveal caldera secrets

Volcanoes have shaped the world - and caused devastation in their wake. In Southern Europe they are a constant threat - the effects of a large eruption could destroy buildings and infrastructure; engulf and incinerate agriculture; and wipe out populations. Around Naples, the remains of Pompeii and Herculaneum are a constant, grim reminder of what the looming presence of Mount Vesuvius could do to the city.

Vesuvius isn’t the only threat in the area, however. Less well known but even larger is a formation called Campi Flegrei, a 13km-wide crater that sits on top of an active magma chamber, whose name roughly translates as ’burning fields’. The last eruption in Campi Flegrei was in 1538, but for the past 40 years the ground in the area has been swelling - an ominous omen that another eruption could be imminent.

The potential danger and the fact that little is known about this kind of volcano, which is known as a caldera, has led to plans to drill into Campi Flegrei to insert sensors that will allow scientists to locate the magma chamber precisely and find new data on the conditions around and inside it. But the project is proving controversial - opponents fear that the drilling could release heavy metals and other pollutants to the surface, or could trigger seismic events or another eruption.