Campi Flegrei, new hypothesis on bradyseism: "Taking fluids from the subsoil to reduce earthquakes"

Reducing the pressure of underground fluids to mitigate bradyseism and earthquakes in the Campi Flegrei area: this is the hypothesis put forward by a study by Stanford University, published in Science Advances and conducted by Italian geophysics Tiziana Vanorio, with the collaboration of the University of Naples Federico II.

According to the research, the seismic phenomenon may not depend only on magma and gas, but on the pressure accumulated by water and steam in the geothermal reservoir. The authors suggest to intervene lowering groundwater levels through wells, in order to reduce internal pressure. An innovative idea that, if validated, could open up active prevention scenarios.

Frances White, director of the Volcanoes department of the INGV, welcomes the proposal as “an interesting idea”, but underlines the need for experimental verification, recalling that “progress comes through independent validation.”

In parallel, a study by the Federico II University hypothesizes the use of geoengineering techniques to control the flow of fluids in the Solfatara-Pisciarelli area.

Both works aim at a proactive approach to address the bradyseismic risk, but, as reiterated by Bianco, it will be up to the engineers to evaluate the real feasibility of the proposed solutions.