Possible coupling of Campi Flegrei and Vesuvius as revealed by InSAR time series, correlation analysis and time dependent modeling

Volcanoes are often considered as isolated systems, however, evidences increase that adjacent volcanoes are directly coupled or may be closely related to remote triggers. At the Italian volcanoes Campi Flegrei and Vesuvius, as well as adjacent volcano-tectonic systems, all located in the Campania Volcanic Province with ~ 2 million inhabitants, a new analysis of satellite radar data reveals allied deformation activity. Here we show that during the 16-year records from 1992 to 2008, identified episodes of deformation have occurred in correlation. Albeit differences in the quantity of deformation, the sign, frequency and rate of pressure changes at reservoirs beneath Campi Flegrei and Vesuvius can be very similar, allowing to infer that pressure changes originating from a magmatic or tectonic source external to the shallow volcano magma plumbing systems is a likely cause. Such a fluid-mechanical coupling sheds light on the earlier episodes of correlated eruptions and deformations occurring during the historical roman times.