Campi Flegrei

Infobox Mountain
Name= Campi Flegrei
Photo= Pozzuoli NASA ISS004-E-5376 modified names.jpg
Caption= NASA Space Shuttle photo of Campi Flegrei, with main features labeled.
Elevation=convert|458|m|ftVNUM|1=0101-01=|2=Campi Flegreiaccessdate|2008-09-20]
Location=Italy
Prominence =
Coordinates =coord|40.827|14.139|type:mountain_region|display=inline,title
Topographic

Type=Caldera
Volcanic_Arc/Belt=Campanian volcanic arc
Age= 40,000 years
Last eruption=1538
First ascent=
Easiest route=

Campi Flegrei, also known as the Phlegraean Fields (from Greek φλέγος, "burning"), is a large convert|13|km|mi wide caldera situated to the west of Naples, Italy declared regional park in 2003. Today mostly lying underwater, the area comprises 24 craters and volcanic edifices, some of which present hydrothermal activity at Lucrino, Agnano and the town of Pozzuoli and effusive gaseous manifestations like the Solfatara crater, mythological home of the Roman god of fire, Vulcan. The area also features bradyseism phenomena, mainly evident at the temple of Serapis in Pozzuoli.

Geological phases

Three geological phases or periods are recognised and distinguished [Brand, Helen. Volcanism and the Mantle: Campi Flegrei [http://www.ucl.ac.uk/~ucfbhbr/Campi%20Flegrei.pdf] ] .
* The First Phlegraean Period. It is thought that the eruption of the Archiflegreo volcano occurred about 39.28 ± 0.11 ka [cite journal
last = De Vivo
first = B.
coauthors = G. Rolandi, P. B. Gans, A. Calvert, W. A. Bohrson, F. J. Spera and H. E. Belkin
title = New constraints on the pyroclastic eruptive history of the Campanian volcanic Plain (Italy)
journal = Mineralogy and Petrology
volume = 73
issue = 1-3
pages = p. 47–65
publisher = Springer Wien
date = 2001-11
url = http://www.springerlink.com/content/8r046aa9t4lmjwxj/
doi = 10.1007/s007100170010
accessdate = 2008-09-20] (older estimate ~37,000 years ago), erupting about convert|200|km3|cumi|sigfig=2 of magma (convert|500|km3|cumi|sigfig=2 bulk volume) [cite journal
last = Fisher
first = Richard V.
coauthors = Giovanni Orsi, Michael Ort, and Grant Heiken
title = Mobility of a large-volume pyroclastic flow — emplacement of the Campanian ignimbrite, Italy
journal = Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research
volume = 56
issue = 3
pages = pp. 205–220
publisher = Elsevier
date = 1993-06
url = http://volcanology.geol.ucsb.edu/camptuff.htm
doi = 10.1016/0377-0273(93)90017-L
accessdate = 2008-09-20] to produce the Campanian Ignimbrite. [cite journal |last=Fedele |first=Francesco G. |authorlink= |coauthors="et al." |year=2002 |month= |title=Ecosystem Impact of the Campanian Ignimbrite Eruption in Late Pleistocene Europe |journal=Quaternary Research |volume=57 |issue=3 |pages=420–424 |doi=10.1006/qres.2002.2331 |url= |accessdate= |quote= ] The area is characterised by banks of piperno and pipernoid grey tuff at Camaldoli hill, like in the northern and western ridge of Mount Cumae; other referable deep products are those found at Mount Procida, recognizable in the cliffs of its coast.

* The Second Phlegaean Period. Between the 35,000-10,500 years ago [Brand, Helen. Volcanism and the Mantle: Campi Flegrei [http://www.ucl.ac.uk/~ucfbhbr/Campi%20Flegrei.pdf] ] , it is characterized by the yellow tuff that constitutes the rests of an immense underwater volcano (having a diameter of ca. convert|15|km|mi|sigfig=2 and Pozzuoli to its center) Approximately 12,000 years ago the last major eruption occurred, forming a smaller caldera inside the main one, centered on the town of Pozzuoli. This event produced the Neopolitan yellow tuff, referring to the characteristic yellow rocks there.

* The Third Phlegaean Period. Dated between 8,000 - 500 years ago [Brand, Helen. Volcanism and the Mantle: Campi Flegrei [http://www.ucl.ac.uk/~ucfbhbr/Campi%20Flegrei.pdf] ] , it is characterized by white pozzolana, the material that forms the majority of volcanos in Flegrei Fields. In great lines, it can be said there was an initial activity to the south-west in the zone of Bacoli and Baiae (10.000-8.000 years ago); an intermediate activity in an area centred between Pozzuoli, Spaccata Mountain and Agnano (8.000-3.900 years ago); and a more recent activity, moved towards the west to form Lake Avernus and Monte Nuovo (New Mountain) (3,800-500 years ago).

The caldera, which now is essentially at ground level, is accessible on foot. It contains a large number of fumaroles, from which steam can be seen issuing, and a number of pools of boiling mud. Several subsidiary cones and tuff craters lie within the caldera. One of these craters is filled by Lake Avernus. In 1538, an eight-day eruption in the area deposited enough material to create a new hill, Monte Nuovo. It has risen about convert|2|m|ft|sigfig=2 from ground level since 1970. It is a VEI 7 supervolcano, still active [cite journal
first = Christopher G.
last = Newhall
coauthors = Self, Steve
year = 1982
title = The volcanic explosivity index (VEI): An estimate of explosive magnitude for historical volcanism
journal = Journal of Geophysical Research
volume = 87
issue = C2
pages = 1231–1238
url = http://www.agu.org/pubs/crossref/1982/JC087iC02p01231.shtml
doi = 10.1029/JC087iC02p01231 ] . At present, the Campi Flegrei area comprises the Naples districts of Agnano and Fuorigrotta, the area of Pozzuoli, Bacoli, Mount Procida, Quarto, the Phlegrean Islands (Ischia, Procida and Vivara).

Cultural importance

Campi Flegrei had strategical and cultural importance.

* The area was known to the Greeks, who had a colony nearby at Cumae.
* The beach of Miliscola, in Bacoli, was the Roman military academy headquarters.
* Lake Avernus was believed to be the entrance to the underworld, and is portrayed as such in the Aeneid of Virgil. During the civil war between Octavian and Antony, Agrippa tried to turn the lake into a military port, the Portus Julius.
* Cumae was the first Greek colony on the mainland of Italy (Magna Graecia) and is perhaps most famous as the seat of the Cumaean Sibyl.
* Baiae, now lying underwater, was a fashionable coastal resort and homed the Roman emperor's summer villa.
* A Flavian Amphitheatre (Amphitheatrum Flavium), the third largest Italian amphitheatre after the Colosseum and the Capuan Amphitheatre.
* The Via Appia passed through the comune of Quarto, entirely built on an extinguished crater.
* Europe's youngest mountain [ [http://www.icampiflegrei.it/visita_pozzuoli_ing.htm#MONTENUOVO Il Portale dei Campi Flegrei: Pozzuoli] ] [ [http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Monte-Nuovo NationMaster Encyclopedia: Monte Nuovo] ] , the Monte Nouvo is here. The WWF osasis lies beside the enormous Astroni crater.
* The tombs of Agrippina the Elder and Scipio Africanus are here as well.
* At Baiae, a Bacoli district the most ancient hot spring complex was built for the richest Romans. It homed the largest ancient dome in the world before the construction of the Roman [Pantheon, Rome|Pantheon] .

Patrick Moore used to cite Campi Flegrei as an example of why the impact craters on the Moon must be of volcanic origin, which was thought to be the case until the 1960s.

ee also

*List of volcanoes in Italy
*Phlegra

Source

This article has been completed with material from , Wikipedia in Italian and , Wikipedia in Spanish.

References

External links

* [http://www.essc.psu.edu/~bjhaupt/specials/iamg98/flegrei.html Phlegraean Fields]
* [http://vulcan.fis.uniroma3.it/excursion_campi.html Volcanological Excursion to Campi Flegrei]
* [http://vulcan.fis.uniroma3.it/introduction.html Historical and Geological Introduction to the Neapolitan area]
* [http://www.flegrei.com Story, mithos, and gastronomic ways]
* [http://www.campiflegreipark.it CampiFlegreipark.it Accommodation in B&B, Hotel, ancient thermal baths, good suggestions]