Marseille: Europe's mysterious volcano in Italy is a sign of danger despite being under water

When we think of a volcano in Italy, we think of Mount Etna, near Sicily, or Mount Vesuvius in Naples, which destroyed the city of Pompeii. We think these two volcanoes could wreak havoc on the southern islands and regions.

But in addition to these two, there is a third volcano that is active. Its name is Mount Marseille and it is located about 175 km south of Naples. It has an altitude of 3,000 meters and a width of 70 to 30 km from bottom to top. Marseille is the largest active volcano in Europe.

And surprisingly, you can't see it. Its peak is buried 500 meters below sea level.

Scientists have known about Marseille's presence for over a century. But over the past century, they have become aware of the dangers they face, and the evidence from their research is truly alarming.

Recent research suggests that this volcano could potentially trigger a massive tsunami whose 30-meter-high waves could hit the coasts of Calabria and Sicily.

These gases rise above the earth's crust from cracks in the volcanoes below the islands.

More dangerously, there is hardly a warning sign of a possible catastrophe to come. That's why scientists are calling for a new technology to explore the Mediterranean.

Ancient destruction

In terms of size, Marseille cannot be compared to Tamo Massif, which is 4460 meters high and is located at the bottom of the Northwest Atlantic Ocean. It may involve several complex volcanoes.

Tamo Masaf is gone, but Marseille is still in motion. It is located on the border of the Eurasian and African tectonic plates and its movement increases geological activity.

It is one of several volcanoes on the south coast of Sicily and the east coast of southern Italy. Some of them have come in the form of islands, including the Ivolin Islands.

The volcano is called volcano in English and is named after the Greek god of fire. There are about 10 underwater volcanoes under each of these visible islands.

According to Guido Vinchora, an expert at Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Vulcanology, Marseille was born 1 million years ago. In a century, 80 lava erupts formed the upper pointed parts that spread from north to east and from south to west. There were many more cracks where lava could come out.

The possible "time bomb" was hidden under the sea and was discovered near southern Italy only 100 years ago.  Venturea says people began to record ocean basins in the early 20th century. 

The reasons for this were the increasing use of submarines by the military and the world's new international communications system for which underwater telegraph cable passed.

As a result of these efforts, cartographers discovered the volcano in the 1920s. It was named after researcher Levigi Marseille, who was associated with the field.

Marseille's discovery is not so old and has been the subject of recent scientific research with detailed findings in the 2000s. According to these investigations, the last time Marseille erupted a thousand years ago.

According to Ventura, to this day, its activities have been slow-moving, releasing gases and causing low-intensity earthquakes.

But that doesn't mean it will remain silent in the future. Marseille is just resting for a while. If it erupts again, the lava and ash from the eruption will be absorbed into the sea within 500 meters. It is unlikely that the lava will harm land or local populations.

 volcanic eruption is not a threat, but from a possible underwater landslide," said Ventura.

A tsunami can occur if the earth's crust moves during this or an explosion and a large part of it falls into the water.

The destruction of Naples

We know that there have been many tragedies in the past due to volcanic eruptions and landslides on the Evelyn Islands.

In 1343, for example, the poet Petrarch mentioned a terrible hurricane in Naples that killed hundreds.

Recent research by Sarah Levy and her colleagues at New York State University suggests that the cause may have been a tsunami that originated off the island of Stromboli near Sicily.

Archaeological evidence from the volcano showed his team that there had been a landslide that triggered a tsunami that had reached the coast of Calabria.

Two tsunamis were triggered by a volcanic eruption on Stromboli in 2002, and its waves damaged the island itself. However, it did not reach the ground and there were no casualties in the incident

There is a risk of a tsunami from the Marseille landslide

Unfortunately, at this time we cannot calculate the threat of Marseille. "We don't have that much data yet," said Gluco Glutti, a physics professor at the University of Bologna. But there are a number of reasons why this is a threat.

The movement of hot water under the ground may have weakened the volcanic rock. He says small-scale earthquakes indicate that lava is forming inside the volcano. For these reasons, we need more research to identify potential threats.

In a study published this year, the glute team examined five different possible outcomesIn the early cases, the movement of water was limited. They created waves only a few centimeters high.

However, the northwest is more prone to landslides. This caused waves three to four meters high to reach southern Campania and two to three meters high waves hit the coasts of Calabria and Sicily in just 30 minutes.

It is important to take this seriously because a crack on Marseille suggests that a similar landslide has occurred in the past. "It would have caused waves one to three meters high," says Glutti.

In the worst case scenario, the south central and eastern peaks could sink. According to Glutte's research, it can reach 20-meter-high waves off the coast of Sicily and Calabria in just 20 minutes.

Whether this situation is possible, further research is needed. He says But the possibility we can't rule out.

If a volcano erupts, the loss of life will be determined by what month of the year it occurs. And is there a tsunami at the height of tourism?

"In the summer, southern Italy has a large population," says Glutte. According to him, the height of Italy's coastline may mean that people will be safe if they are one kilometer away from the coast.

Ventura agrees that more research is needed on these threats. 

The events at Stromboli suggest that Marseille is probably the largest volcano in Europe. But other small volcanoes around it could also pose a threat.

Ventura says it is important to note that there are at least 70 underwater volcanoes in the Tirani Sea in the Sicilian Strait. In some cases, their story is unknown.

Of greater concern is the Palinuro volcano, 65 km off the coast of Silento.

According to Glutte, the latest research shows that this complex volcano has a 150-meter layer of light material that can fall from an earthquake. Future surveys will determine the potential for catastrophe and its effects.

If these threats become too great, the Italian government will have to take steps to avoid a possible catastrophe. At the moment there is a system under which the people of Italy can be informed before the tsunami.

Glut says it's not hard to make. He says motion sensors can be used to create a system that can detect the movement of waves and an emergency tsunami.

This can send an SMS alert to the people of the area so that they can move to higher ground before the tsunami strikes.

Ventura says volcanic activity can also be monitored.  Technology-enabled active volcano surveillance has made great strides over the last 40 years 

In addition to the warning system, Glutti says it would be important for people and lawmakers to be aware of potential threats.

Generally people know that a tsunami can hit their area. But their information is not clear. For example, when asked about recent events, only 3.3 percent of respondents referred to the 2002 tsunami in Stromboli.

Most people said they knew little about the current situation or did not know how to avoid a possible tsunami.

"This is a very serious issue," Groina and Marie told BBC Future via email.

Mount Etna in Sicily has recently seen lava flows

Probably a factor as to why they're doing so poorly in Italy. It is important to know about earthquakes or tsunamis because you can assess the situation and change your attitude to avoid danger.

He says the formation of a warning system must also take into account the attitudes of local people. (After Code 19, we've seen different people react to information differently.)

Here are some positive steps that have been taken. A recent project by the Italian Department of Civil Protection in Salerno sought to understand the tsunami emergency. "It can increase their awareness of the dangers," said Groina and Marie.

But it is difficult for most people to understand the dangers of landslides. This means that efforts need to be intensified to raise awareness among the people.

Tsunami hazards may be limited to one place. But if the threat spreads elsewhere, some information could save thousands of lives.