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.
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
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