The unprecedented M d = 4.4, 2024, Campi Flegrei earthquake highlights the fluids contribution to the ongoing unrest

Abstract The Campi Flegrei caldera has been experiencing volcanic unrest since 2005, rising concern in the population and in local and national authorities. On May 20, 2024, the largest local earthquake ever instrumentally recorded up to that time produced substantial damage, forcing the evacuation...

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Main Authors: Nicola Alessandro Pino, Stefania Danesi, Giacomo Rapagnani, Valerio De Rubeis, Simone Cesca
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-05-01
Series:Communications Earth & Environment
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02361-7
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author Nicola Alessandro Pino
Stefania Danesi
Giacomo Rapagnani
Valerio De Rubeis
Simone Cesca
author_facet Nicola Alessandro Pino
Stefania Danesi
Giacomo Rapagnani
Valerio De Rubeis
Simone Cesca
author_sort Nicola Alessandro Pino
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The Campi Flegrei caldera has been experiencing volcanic unrest since 2005, rising concern in the population and in local and national authorities. On May 20, 2024, the largest local earthquake ever instrumentally recorded up to that time produced substantial damage, forcing the evacuation of tens of buildings west of the epicenter. At Campi Flegrei, M > 4 earthquakes are rare and their analysis is crucial to understand the unrest dynamics and the relation between rupture and ground shaking pattern, which is essential to mitigate the damage of future earthquakes. We analyse seismic waveforms at local to regional distances to reconstruct the source geometry and kinematics. We estimate millimetric to submillimetric coseismic surface subsidence – below the sensitivity of any standard geodetic technique – which, compared to the general uplift, highlights the crucial role of deep pressurized fluids in earthquakes’ generation. Our results also indicate that rupture directivity and local amplification determined the damage distribution.
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spelling doaj-art-c65ff6b8c54c4b269a3cb12045475c212025-08-20T01:51:41ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Earth & Environment2662-44352025-05-016111010.1038/s43247-025-02361-7The unprecedented M d = 4.4, 2024, Campi Flegrei earthquake highlights the fluids contribution to the ongoing unrestNicola Alessandro Pino0Stefania Danesi1Giacomo Rapagnani2Valerio De Rubeis3Simone Cesca4Università di Camerino, Scuola di Scienze e Tecnologie, Sezione di GeologiaIstituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Sezione di BolognaUniversità di PisaIstituto Nazionale di Geofisica e VulcanologiaGFZ, Helmholtz Centre for GeosciencesAbstract The Campi Flegrei caldera has been experiencing volcanic unrest since 2005, rising concern in the population and in local and national authorities. On May 20, 2024, the largest local earthquake ever instrumentally recorded up to that time produced substantial damage, forcing the evacuation of tens of buildings west of the epicenter. At Campi Flegrei, M > 4 earthquakes are rare and their analysis is crucial to understand the unrest dynamics and the relation between rupture and ground shaking pattern, which is essential to mitigate the damage of future earthquakes. We analyse seismic waveforms at local to regional distances to reconstruct the source geometry and kinematics. We estimate millimetric to submillimetric coseismic surface subsidence – below the sensitivity of any standard geodetic technique – which, compared to the general uplift, highlights the crucial role of deep pressurized fluids in earthquakes’ generation. Our results also indicate that rupture directivity and local amplification determined the damage distribution.https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02361-7
spellingShingle Nicola Alessandro Pino
Stefania Danesi
Giacomo Rapagnani
Valerio De Rubeis
Simone Cesca
The unprecedented M d = 4.4, 2024, Campi Flegrei earthquake highlights the fluids contribution to the ongoing unrest
Communications Earth & Environment
title The unprecedented M d = 4.4, 2024, Campi Flegrei earthquake highlights the fluids contribution to the ongoing unrest
title_full The unprecedented M d = 4.4, 2024, Campi Flegrei earthquake highlights the fluids contribution to the ongoing unrest
title_fullStr The unprecedented M d = 4.4, 2024, Campi Flegrei earthquake highlights the fluids contribution to the ongoing unrest
title_full_unstemmed The unprecedented M d = 4.4, 2024, Campi Flegrei earthquake highlights the fluids contribution to the ongoing unrest
title_short The unprecedented M d = 4.4, 2024, Campi Flegrei earthquake highlights the fluids contribution to the ongoing unrest
title_sort unprecedented m d 4 4 2024 campi flegrei earthquake highlights the fluids contribution to the ongoing unrest
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02361-7
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