Name: The Next Pompeii
Uploaded: undefined
Duration: undefined

NOVA

Dwelling beneath Naples, Campi Flegrei is less famous than Mount Vesuvius. But, by looking at its pyroclastic flows beneath the city, scientists suspect this volcano could be exponentially more powerful.

Dwelling beneath Naples, is Campi Flegrei—a volcano capable of a very large eruption.

Clues from a Giant Volcanic Eruption Exist Beneath Naples

In the shadow of Italy’s Vesuvius, a lesser-known volcano rumbles: Campi Flegrei. An eruption could endanger the millions of residents of the city of Naples.

In Italy hundreds of thousands of people are living directly on top of an active volcano.

Campi Flegrei: Italy’s Underground Super Volcano

In the shadow of Italy’s Vesuvius, a lesser-known volcano rumbles: Campi Flegrei. If it erupts, millions of lives could be at risk. Scientists explore its unique geology and develop a warning system that could prevent Naples becoming the next Pompeii.

In the shadow of Vesuvius and Pompeii, a lesser-known volcano puts Naples at risk.

The Next Pompeii Preview

Next Pompeii Preview

United States

Northern Mariana Islands

Puerto Rico

American Samoa

Guam

U.S. Virgin Islands

U.S. Minor Outlying Islands

US & Territories

The Next Pompeii

Next Pompeii

Samples of carbon dioxide from Mt. Vesuvius can reveal how close magma is to the volcano's surface. To collect them, researchers descend into Vesuvius' 1,000-foot-deep crater.

Gas samples from Mt. Vesuvius can reveal how close magma is to the volcano's surface.

Volcanologists Descend into Mt Vesuvius' Crater

Carlisle Companies

NOVA Science Trust Logo

In the shadow of Italy’s Vesuvius, a lesser-known volcano rumbles: Campi Flegrei. An eruption could endanger the millions of residents of the city of Naples. Scientists gain new insights into what happened in nearby Pompeii, and dig into the unique geology of Campi Flegrei. How will they know if the ever-shifting ground is reaching a breaking point? And can an innovative eruption warning system prevent Naples becoming the next Pompeii? (Premiered February 20, 2019)

In the shadow of Vesuvius and Pompeii, a lesser-known volcano puts the city of Naples at risk.

University College London

In the shadow of Vesuvius and Pompeii, a lesser-known volcano puts the city of Naples at risk.

Ancient Worlds

Colossal explosions shake a remote corner of the Siberian tundra, leaving behind massive craters. In Alaska, a huge lake erupts with bubbles of inflammable gas. Scientists are discovering that these mystifying phenomena add up to a ticking time bomb, as long-frozen permafrost melts and releases vast amounts of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. What are the implications of these dramatic developments in the Arctic? Scientists and local communities alike are struggling to grasp the scale of the methane threat and what it means for our climate future. (Premiered February 2, 2022)

In the Arctic, enormous releases of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, threaten the climate.

Arctic Sinkholes

The top half of Jupiter in blue and green against a night sky

A composite image of Jupiter using images captured by the James Webb Space Telescope. Image Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, Jupiter ERS Team; image processing by Judy Schmidt.

Explore the cosmos, delve into ancient history, and follow an extreme rescue with NOVA’s most-watched documentaries released in 2022.

NOVA’s most popular science documentaries of 2022

Four bright orange loops brand off of a dark blue blob

A transmission electron micrograph of HIV-1 virus particles (orange) replicating from the plasma membrane of an infected H9 T cell. Credit: NIAID, Flickr

Scientists have cured a handful of people of HIV by piggybacking on treatments they received for blood cancer. But does that bring a widespread cure any closer?

The Next Pompeii

More Ways to Watch

Support Provided By

Explore More

A Volcanic Labyrinth

Tale of Two Volcanoes

Yellowstone Supervolcano May Erupt Sooner Than Anticipated

The Next Pompeii

Drone Monitoring of Volcanoes Could Improve Warning Times

Deadliest Volcanoes

Campi Flegrei: Italy’s Underground Super Volcano

Scientists Make Rare Discovery in Active Volcano

Kīlauea: Hawai‘i on Fire

Hidden Volcano Abyss

Volcanologists Descend into Mt. Vesuvius' Crater

Volcano on the Brink

Killer Volcanoes

More Ways to Watch

Transcript

Credits

Participants

Support Provided By

Explore More

A Volcanic Labyrinth

Tale of Two Volcanoes

Yellowstone Supervolcano May Erupt Sooner Than Anticipated

The Next Pompeii

Drone Monitoring of Volcanoes Could Improve Warning Times

Deadliest Volcanoes

Campi Flegrei: Italy’s Underground Super Volcano

Scientists Make Rare Discovery in Active Volcano

Kīlauea: Hawai‘i on Fire

Hidden Volcano Abyss

Volcanologists Descend into Mt. Vesuvius' Crater

Volcano on the Brink

Killer Volcanoes