Critical supervolcano set for ERUPTION could turn Europe into no-fly zone for months

EUROPEAN airports face chaos, the world economy could be hit and 360,000 lives are at risk if fears of a supervolcano eruption come true, experts told Daily Star Online.

Shock research, revealed in March, warned that the dormant Campi Flegrei volcano in Naples, Italy, could be ready to blow.

Scientists found the volcano – which sits just miles from Mt. Vesuvius – has reached a “critical stage” where further activity may lead to an eruption.

Speaking exclusively to Daily Star Online, experts have warned of the devastating consequences even a small eruption could unleash in Europe.

Camp Flegrei last exploded in 1538 in an eruption that spewed boiling hot magma and dense black smog clouds into the sky for eight days.

Stefano Carlino, of National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology, has studied the physical condition of the crust to identify its “possible critical state”.

Dr Carlino has led a team drill at the volcano in a bid to predict future eruptions.

He said analysis shows an eruption on a similar scale to 1538 could be on the cards.

He said: “Considering the present signal of the volcano and recent deformation history we should expect that, in case of short term eruptions, it will be of small energy, like the 1538 eruption."

If the analysis is accurate, air transport could be thrown into complete anarchy, with flights over European skies suspended indefinitely.

Planes taking off and landing at airports in Italy, Spain, France and even Britain potentially face disruption from Camp Flegrei, with pilots struggling to see through the volcanic dust.

Dr Carlino added: “Europeans will be affected mainly by the spreading of a large amount of ash into the high atmosphere.

“This phenomena has different consequences such as the total interruption of air transport for months and possibly long term disturbance of global climate.”

But despite these catastrophic effects, Dr Carlino said “only deep drilling” can assess the true state of the crust and therefore preempt an eruption.

Dr. Luca De Siena, professor of geophysics at the University of Aberdeen, agrees with his conclusions.

The leading volcano expert said there is evidence to suggest Camp Flegrei has been preparing to blow for nearly 40 years.

He said: “There is evidence of magmatic activity at 3-4 km from the 80s.

“A big eruption, of the scale of that happened 40,000 years ago is unlikely, but even a small one would intersect the Metropolitan City of Naples and have huge effects of air traffic.”

In a recent study, Dr Christopher Kilburn, of UCL, said the volcano went through periods of unrest during the 50s, 70s and 80s suggesting an eruption may be likely.

He said the size of the eruption is most likely to be about one tenth the size of Vesuvius’ eruption.

Around two thousand years ago Vesuvius erupted, destroying the Roman city of Pompeii and killing an estimated 1,500 people.

Dr Kilburn said: “Most of the physical damage is thus expected to be within just a part of Campi Flegrei.

“However, the economic damage may be greater, with disruption to infrastructure, businesses and tourism.”