Campi Flegrei
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Campi Flegrei, also known as the Phlegrean Fields (Greek for "burning fields"), is a large Caldera area situated in the west area of Napoli, Italy. Today most of the crater lies underwater, but includes the town of Pozzuoli and the Solfatara crater, home of the Roman god of fire, Vulcan. It is thought that the caldera was created in 2 major events, the first (Campanian Ignimbrite) occurred in the area about 40,000 years ago. At approximately 12,000 years ago another major eruption occurred forming a smaller caldera inside the main one (centered on the town of Pozzuoli), this event is known as the Neopolitan Yellow Tuff (referring to the characteristic yellow rocks there).
In 1538, an 8-day eruption in the area deposited enough material to create a new hill, Monte Nuovo ("new mountain").
[edit] Trivia
Patrick Moore used to cite Campi Flegrei as an axample of why the impact craters on the moon must be of volcanic origin, which was thought to be the case until the 1960's.
[edit] External links
- Volcanological Excursion to Campi Flegrei
- Historical and Geological Introduction to the Neapolitan area
- Story, mithos, and gastronomic ways
