Volcano to be bored to save Naples

Sep 23, 2010 |

IANS

London, Sept. 22: Scientists are planning to bore deep into the heart of an active volcano to try and protect Naples from a devastating eruption.

They will be placing sensors inside Campi Flegrei, a volcano in southern Italy, by drilling a 4,000-metre hole into its side early in 2011.

They will measure the difference in temperature of the rocks to find out where the red-hot magma lies inside the mountains.

Campi Flegrei caldera lies around eight km west of Naples. More than 1.5 million people live near the low-lying volcano, reports the Daily Mail. It has had periods of unrest in 1969-1972, and 1982-1984 but it last erupted in 1538, reports the journal Nature.

Scientists also expect to hit high temperature liquids (over 900 degrees F) which, could be used to generate geothermal energy.

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