Arcangelo Scacchi

Between 1841 and 1884 he explored the volcanic lava flows of Mount Somma and named several minerals claimed as new forms from the deposits although they were subsequently re-identified as being already described.

[2] In 1845 he served as secretary during the 7th congress of Italian scientists held in Naples, leading an excursion to the Phlegraean Fields.

[3] Here he pointed out the volcanic cones and argued that they were formed by eruption and not local arching as suggested by the lifting theory of Leopold von Buch.

[4][5][6] He was involved in studies of Vesuvius along with Luigi Palmieri and Giuseppe Guarini and interpreted the Melfi earthquake of August 1851 as being unrelated to volcanic activity nearby.

He however resisted and was punished by Giuseppe Garibaldi, but the public education minister Francesco de Sanctis could not remove him from his position as professor, since he was too well known internationally.