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 Mount Vesuvius, Italy
August 24, A.D. 79
When Mount Vesuvius roared to life, the doomed residents of nearby Pompeii had no idea they were living in the shadow of a volcano.
What happened?
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At around noon on August 24, Vesuvius stirred. Ash and pumice began raining down on the streets of Pompeii.
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Residents tried to flee, but escape was futile. The air was growing thick with ash, the sea too turbulent to navigate.
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Those who remained perished as pyroclastic flows—avalanches of scorching ash and gas—enveloped the town. By dawn the following day, Pompeii lay buried beneath the ash and rock. |
Vesuvius had erupted before. Just not within the memory of those going about their business in Pompeii’s bustling streets when the volcano awoke. Nineteen hours later, the city was entombed.
Today more than three million people live in Vesuvius’s shadow. Worldwide, some half a billion people make their homes near volcanoes that have erupted before, and could again. It may sound crazy. But hazards are everywhere, and by monitoring volcanoes we can probably avoid another Pompeii.
Continue to Understanding Volcanoes. >>
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