Bigger than the eruption of Mount Vesuvius?

The Phlegraean Fields, or "burning fields" of southern Italy near Naples are, according to mythology, the home of Hephaestus and the site of the entrance to the Underworld. But this area is also the site of a huge subterranean caldera which is considered one of the world's most dangerous volcanic sites. And it's been pretty active lately, with the surrounding terrain rising and falling as much as 11 feet over the past ten years. Scientists fear that an eruption of this "supervolcano" could affect the entire planet, causing millions of deaths, enormous climate changes, and perhaps even a mini-ice age. Giuseppe De Natale, head of research at the National Observatory for Geophysics and Volcanology, wants to probe the underground caldera to determine how imminent is the risk of eruption. But other scientists fear that such a probe could actually trigger such an eruption. The mayor of Naples has blocked the research temporarily, and a meeting in Rome will discuss whether to move ahead with the probe or not. Read more here: http://www.newsweek.com/2010/10/20/should-scientists-probe-the-massive-volcano-under-naples.html