Situated on Rome’s doorstep, a volcano is showing signs of activity which, combined with the seismic history of the area, would indicate it is slowly reactivating, an international team of scientists have said.
Chambers located between 5 km and 10 km under the residential areas of Ariccia, Castel Gandolfo, Albano and other “Roman castles” are filling up with magma and the ground is rising 2-3 mm per year, the scientists said in the study.
And it is known that seismic events can trigger a volcanic eruption, like it happened in the U.S. with Mount St. Helen.
A recent series of earthquakes which struck central Italy in the past two months has sparked fears that the country’s capital may be at risk from a “big one.”
The tremors – all followed by powerful aftershocks – proved the final straw for a number of important architectural landmarks, including the Abbey of Sant-Eutizio in Umbria, and damaged several churches and buildings in the heart of Rome, including the Colosseum.