Naples – A slight but significant slowdown in ground uplift is affecting the Campi Flegrei caldera. According to data from the Vesuvius Observatory's (INGV) monthly monitoring bulletin for February 2026, the rate of bradyseism has decreased, averaging approximately 10 millimeters per month.
The dynamics of lifting
The February data marks a further change in a trend that has fluctuated considerably over the past year. After peaking at the beginning of 2025 (when 30 mm of monthly rainfall was reached) and accelerating at the end of the year, which brought the values back to 25 mm, the velocity had already begun to decrease by mid-December 2025 (15 mm).
Today, with the transition to 10 mm per month, a phase of lower mechanical pressure is confirmed compared to previous months, although the unrest phenomenon (instability) remains fully active.
The numbers of bradyseism: from 2005 to today
To understand the extent of the phenomenon, INGV technicians look at historical data collected by GNSS sensors:
Rione Terra (Pozzuoli): Since the historic beginning of the current crisis in November 2005, the ground has risen by a total of 1,62 meters.
Recent data: Since January 2024 alone, the accumulated uplift in the historic center of Pozzuoli is approximately 24,5 centimeters.
Seabed: Even the sea is rising. The Medusa station, located in the Gulf of Pozzuoli, has detected a seabed rise of approximately 33 centimeters in the last two years.
Seismic activity and swarms
Parallel to the uplift, February's seismic activity was characterized by 254 earthquakes. Most of these events were attributed to three seismic swarms that concentrated 85 shocks in short intervals.
The most significant event occurred on February 28th at 11:19 a.m., with a magnitude of 3.5, and was clearly felt by residents of the Phlegraean Fields area and the western neighborhoods of Naples. Despite the slowdown in uplift, seismicity remains the most monitored parameter for assessing the evolution of risk in the area.
Useful and neutral article, but I find the data not explained well. The INGV says 10 mm, but before that it was 30 mm, then 25 mm, and then 15 mm. The chronology is confusing, and the graphs are missing. The groundwater is still rising, and the tremors persist. More frequent checks and clear communication are needed; technicians should improve the logicality of the numbers.