Perception of risk for natural hazards in Campania Region (Southern Italy)

As far as the European continent, Region Campania in Southern Italy presents an almost unique combination - in terms of both variety and intensity-of potential risks for the residents: this densely populated area is actually most notably exposed to hydrogeological (flood and landslides), seismic, volcanic hazards In such a setting, alongside with an up-to-date scientific approach to risks analysis and the constant update of emergency plans, it is of paramount importance that a “risk awareness culture” should be developed by the residents. In order to maximize the effectiveness of the communication campaigns to support and improve such a culture, a study of risk perception has been carried out in 12 municipalities and 2 territorial unions of Campania Region. Different areas have been examined, the overall exposure of each almost always being characterised by a prevalent specific risk: seismic, volcanic, hydrogeological. The results of this surveys show that the historical memory has a crucial role on the hazards perception. It's also worth of noting that few communities consider that they have been sufficiently well-informed by civil protection agencies and/or authorities about the natural hazards specific to their area and the practical procedures for evacuation. To overcome these deficiencies emergency plans should be designed, developed and practised through the collaboration of all key stakeholders, from civil protection authorities to the residents communities.Publishedid 1011646SR VULCANI – Servizi e ricerca per la societàJCR Journa

Thermal Energy Release Measurement with Thermal Camera: The Case of La Solfatara Volcano (Italy)

Quiescent volcanoes dissipate a large part of their thermal energy through hot soils and ground degassing mainly in restricted areas called Diffuse Degassing Structures. La Solfatara crater represents the main spot of thermal release for the Campi Flegrei volcano (Italy) despite its reduced dimensions with regards to the whole caldera. The purpose of this study was to develop a method to measure thermal energy release extrapolating it from the ground surface temperature. We used imaging from thermal cameras at short distances (1 m) to obtain a mapping of areas with thermal anomalies and a measure of their temperatures. We built a conceptual model of the energy release from the ground to atmosphere, which well fits the experimental data taken in the La Solfatara crater. Using our model and data, we could estimate the average heat flux in a portion of the crater as q a v g = 220 ± 40 W / m 2 , compatible with other measurements in literature