Campi Flegrei del Mar di Sicilia

Geography & Climate

Campi Flegrei del Mar di Sicilia is located in Italy, within the Sicily Volcanic Province of the broader European Volcanic Regions. Situated at 37.10° N, 12.70° E in the Northern Hemisphere, the volcano lies within a temperate climate zone. With an elevation of -8 meters — below sea level — Campi Flegrei del Mar di Sicilia is a submarine or submerged volcanic feature. Submarine volcanoes make up the majority of Earth's volcanic activity, though most eruptions go unobserved beneath the ocean surface. The volcanic landform is characterized as a cluster, which describes the physical shape and structure of the volcanic edifice as observed from the surface.

Geological Context

Campi Flegrei del Mar di Sicilia is situated along a rift zone, where tectonic plates are pulling apart. As the crust thins and fractures, magma rises to fill the gap, creating volcanic activity. Rift volcanism typically produces more fluid lava flows rather than explosive blasts, which means communities near Campi Flegrei del Mar di Sicilia in Italy generally face slower-moving hazards like lava flows and ground fissures rather than sudden pyroclastic events. However, rift volcanoes can still generate significant ash emissions and gas releases that affect local air quality. The dominant rock type is trachybasalt / tephrite basanite, a dark, fine-grained volcanic rock that forms from rapidly cooling, low-viscosity lava. Basaltic eruptions tend to be less explosive and produce fluid lava flows that can travel long distances. While less immediately dangerous than explosive eruptions, basaltic lava flows can destroy structures and infrastructure in their path, and volcanic gases released during these eruptions can affect air quality over a wide area.

Eruption History Summary

Campi Flegrei del Mar di Sicilia has 8 recorded eruptions in the geological database, spanning from 253 BCE to 1911 CE. The most powerful recorded event was a severe eruption capable of regional ash fall and pyroclastic flows in 1831 CE, reaching VEI 3 on the Volcanic Explosivity Index. This eruption frequency indicates a moderately active volcanic system with periodic reawakenings. The most recent eruption in 1911 CE places this volcano within the modern era of volcanological observation.

Significance

With a maximum recorded VEI of 3, Campi Flegrei del Mar di Sicilia has produced eruptions capable of generating pyroclastic flows and significant ash fall in the surrounding area. While not among the largest eruptions globally, VEI 3 events pose serious hazards to local populations and can disrupt regional air travel. With 8 recorded eruptions on file, Campi Flegrei del Mar di Sicilia has enough documented activity to help scientists identify patterns in its eruptive behavior.

GVP Reference Summary

Campi Flegrei del Mar di Sicilia (Phlegraean Fields of the Sicily Sea) is composed of a group of submarine volcanoes SW of Sicily. The volcanoes were constructed within a submarine depression about 1 km deep in the Strait of Sicily between the SW coast of Sicily and the NE tip of Tunisia, forming submarine banks that are capped by cones that rise to near sea level. Submarine eruptions were reported at the Giulia-Ferdinandeo and Pinne banks during the first Punic war (264-241 BCE), and from the 17th to 20th centuries, sometimes producing ephemeral islands. The 1831 eruption at Ferdinandea (also known as Graham in English or Giulia/Julia in French) produced an ephemeral island that was promptly claimed by the navies of France, Britain, Spain, and Italy.

— Smithsonian Institution, Global Volcanism Program