Second earthquake swarm hits Campi Flegrei one day after state of emergency declaration
A new earthquake swarm began in the Campi Flegrei caldera at 14:23 local time on May 14, 2025, just five hours after Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) reported the end of a previous swarm that led to a state of emergency declaration.
Earthquake swarm in Campi Flegrei caldera, Italy on May 14, 2025. Credit: INGV
A second earthquake swarm began at 12:23 UTC (14:23 local time) on May 14, 2025, in the Campi Flegrei caldera, west of Naples, according to INGV’s Osservatorio Vesuviano.
By 13:05 UTC, a total of 24 earthquakes had been recorded, with magnitudes ranging from Md 0.0 to Md 3.1. The epicenters were located in the central-eastern part of the caldera, mainly between Pozzuoli and Solfatara, with depths between 1 and 3 km (0.6–1.8 miles).
The new swarm comes just about five hours after INGV reported the end of a previous seismic sequence that began on May 13 and included an M4.4 earthquake. That earlier swarm prompted school closures, disruptions to train service, and the evacuation of several buildings.
In response, the Italian government declared a state of emergency for the Campi Flegrei region on May 13. The declaration allows civil protection authorities to fast-track risk mitigation and structural reinforcements in the highest-risk areas, known as the Red Zone.
Earthquake swarm prompts state of emergency for Campi Flegrei, Italy
A state of emergency was declared for Italy’s Campi Flegrei area on May 13, 2025, following an M4.4 earthquake within a swarm of earthquakes that produced 49 registered events.
Campi Flegrei, one of Europe’s most densely populated volcanic zones, includes nearly 500 000 residents in the highest-risk area and over 800 000 in adjacent zones that could be affected by ash fall in a future eruption.
I'm a dedicated researcher, journalist, and editor at The Watchers. With over 20 years of experience in the media industry, I specialize in hard science news, focusing on extreme weather, seismic and volcanic activity, space weather, and astronomy, including near-Earth objects and planetary defense strategies. You can reach me at teo /at/ watchers.news.
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