Mount Vesuvius

Mt. Vesuvius Basics
Mt. Vesuvius Details

Mt. Vesuvius is a volcano that erupted on August 24 A.D. 79 blanketing the towns and 1000s of residents of Pompeii, Stabiae, and Herculaneum. Pompeii was buried 10' deep, while Herculaneum was buried under 75' of ash. This volcanic eruption is the first to be described in detail. The letter-writing Pliny the Younger was stationed about 18 mi. away in Misenum from which vantage point he could see the eruption and feel the preceding earthquakes. His uncle, the naturalist Pliny the Elder, was in charge of area warships, but he turned his fleet to rescuing residents and died.

In addition to Pliny's recording the sights and sounds of the first volcano to be described in detail, the volcanic covering of Pompeii and Herculaneum provided an amazing opportunity for future historians: The ash preserved and protected a vibrant city against the elements until future archaeologists unearthed this snapshot in time.

• Letter about the death of his uncle and the appearance of the volcano, from Pliny the Younger to Tacitus the historian

Prior to the eruption, there were earthquakes, including a substantial one in A.D. 62 that Pompeii was still recovering from in 79. There was another earthquake in 64, while Nero was performing in Naples. Earthquakes were seen as facts of life. However, in 79, springs and wells dried up, and in August, the earth cracked, the sea became turbulent, and the animals showed signs that something was coming. When the eruption of the 24th of August began, it looked like a pine tree in the sky, according to Pliny, spewing noxious fumes, ash, smoke, mud, stones, and flames.

• More on the Emperor Nero

Named after the naturalist Pliny, the type of eruption of Mt. Vesuvius is referred to as "Plinian." In such an eruption a column of various materials (called tephra) is ejected into the atmosphere, creating what looks like a mushroom cloud (or, perhaps, pine tree). Mt. Vesuvius' column is projected to have reached about 66,000' in height. Ash and pumice spread by the winds rained for about 18 hours. Buildings started to collapse and people began to escape. Then came high temperature, high velocity gases and dust, and more seismic activity.

First written November 2006, by N.S. Gill. Updated 2008.

• Volcanic Phenomena at Pompeii
• Pompeii
• [formerly at <volcano.und.edu/vwdocs/volc_images/img_vesuvius.html>Vesuvius Italy]
• The 79 AD Eruption of Vesuvius