Ten Key Points

1. Mount Vesuvius is a stratovolcano, meaning it is made up of many layers (strata) of hardened lava and ash.
2. Vesuvius' 79 AD eruption covered both Pompeii and Herculaneum with ash.
3. The eruption was caused by the collision of two tectonic plates: African and Eurasian.
4. Pliny the Younger, an eyewitness who recorded the event, coined the term "Plinian."
5. The area experienced foreshock earthquakes in 62AD, 64AD as well as frequently in the four days prior to the eruption.
6. The eruption released 4km cubed of ash and rock composed of leucite and phonolite.
7. Phase one of the eruption, lasted approximately twenty hours and deposed up to 2.8 meters of pumice.
8. Phase two of the eruption consisted of deadly rock and hot gas in a pyroclastic flow.
9. 38% of the 1,150 bodies are thought to have been killed by roof collapses and falling rocks, while the other 62% have been found in pyroclastic surge deposits killed by inhalation of ash and blast debris.
10. The eruption changed local topography, specifically the course of the Sarno River.

Summary

Mount Vesuvius, one of the world's most deadly volcanoes, would leave its greatest mark in 79AD. The stratovolcano erupted August 24th 79AD (Kreger, 2004) with a catastrophic force, consequently wiping out the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. The exact number of casualties is not known but is estimated between 10,000 and 25,000 (Wikipedia, n.d.). Archeologists have recovered some 1,500 bodies of stragglers in the city who could not find shelter from Vesuvius' wrath (Wikipedia, n.d.). The bodies were entombed in hot ash and volcanic debris, which was shot from the volcano in phase one of the explosion. The blanket of ash that buried Pompeii preserved the entire city, including the expressions worn by some of the volcano's cast victims (Wikipedia, n.d.).

There were precursors in the region prior to the 79AD eruption. Most substantial of these are the frequent earthquakes four days before the eruption, which were ignored by the civilians (Wikipedia, n.d.). Springs and wells also dried up prior to Vesuvius' eruption.

Vesuvius' most monumental eruption ocurred in two phases. An earthquake split the top of Vesuvius, opening up and allowing a monstrous cloud of gases to be released (Kreger, 2004). The massive cloud rained 2.8 meters of pumice on the southern city of Pompeii. The second phase involved the pyroclastic flows surging northwest and west, enveloping the city of Herculaneum. Pompeii, located south of the volcano, did not receive the same mass of flow but was still engulfed by two smaller flows (Wikipedia, n.d.).

Pompeii and Herculaneum were never rebuilt, and were completely lost until the 18th century when archeologists stumbled across the remains of the 79AD Pompeii by accident. It is likely the towns were not rebuilt because the magnitude of Vesuvius' volcanic wrath is so great it raised the sea levels and changed the course of the Sarno River (Wikipedia, n.d.). This vast altering of the topography of the region resulted in Pompeii no longer being located along the riverbank, nor along the coast.

Mount Vesuvius has erupted on several occasions since 79AD, none of which have come near the violent power of this huge eruption. Vesuvius, however, has been silent for over 64 years (Free Library, 2008). It is hypothesized that the volcano is silently waiting for the next eruption, which may mask that of 79AD.

References

Free Library. (2008). In the shadow of a volcano: Mount Vesuvius is one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world. Retrieved November 16, 2009, from http://www.thefreelibrary.com/In+the+shadow+of+a+volcano%3a+Mount+Vesuvius+is+one+of+the+most...-a0174061879

Kreger, C. (2004, November 10). Mount Vesuvius. Retrieved November 16, 2009, from http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/volcanoes/vmtvesuvius.html

'Mount Vesuvius'. (n.d.). In Wikipedia the Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved November 16, 2009, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Vesuvius

Power Point

Mount Vesuvius

Useful Sites

Blog

Newsletter

Discussion Forum

.edu

Academic Article

YouTube Video (4:22)

Peer-Reviewed Journal

Charity Site

Amazon Link

Wikipedia

Index of Sites

Government Website

References

artworks3d (user). (2009, July 27). Youtube. Pompeii Destroyed by Mount Vesuvius. Podcast retrieved November 10, 2009, from http://youtube.com

Ask. (n.d.). Topic: Mount Vesuvius. Posted to http://www.ask.com/

Divitiis, E., Cappabianca, P., Esposito, F., and Cavallo, L. (2004). The legacy of Pompeii and its volcano. Neurosurgery, 55 (4) 989-1006.

iRazoo. (2007). Mount Vesuvius. Retrieved November 22, 2009, from http://www.irazoo.com

Mount Vesuvius. (n.d.) In Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org

Mt. Vesuvius and the Destruction of Pompeii, AD 79 (Natural Disasters). (n.d.). Retrieved November 3rd, 2009, from http://www.amazon.com/Vesuvius-Destruction-Pompeii-Natural-Disasters/dp/1584154195

Tall Stories Charity Challanges. (n.d.). Sicily Volcano Trek Challenge. Retrieved November 16, 2009, from http://www.tallstories.co.uk

Tibbs, J. (2009, October 11). Mount Vesuvius. Retrieved November 12th, 2009, from http://soilsci.wordpress.com/2009/10/11/mount-vesuvius/

United States Geological Survey. (2008, November 28). Italy Volcanoes and Volcanics. Retrieved November 20, 2009, from http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/

Valstoda University. (n.d.). Volcanoes. Retrieved from http://www.valdosta.edu

Vesuvioinrete. (2009, May 27). Mt. Vesuvius online, the portal of the volcano. Retrieved November 21, 2009, from http://www.vesuvioinrete.it/e_index.htm