Buried and thus frozen in time by the eruption of mount vesuvius in 79 ad, the ancient roman town of 11,000 has provided an object of great historical interest ever since its rediscovery in 1599. Surprisingly, several million people currently live in its path, obviously willing to tempt fate by defying the volcanos capacity for destruction. A rich description of the mount vesuvius eruption day events has been discovered through the archaeological evidence and the use of written letters of an eyewitness. In just 19 hours, most of the inhabitants were dead, and a layer of ash. Suddenly there was a great explosion, and tons of rock, ash, and gas were spewed into the air.
There was a lull of some 250 years before the eruption, so many of the local people had forgo. This video is a digital animation of the eruption of mt. Mount vesuvius eruption in 79 ad was so extreme it turned. On august 24th of 79 ce, mount vesuvius began to erupt and to destroy thousands of people, animals, and plants. Start studying archaeology of pompeii and herculaneum test i history of mt. Pompeii the eruption of vesuvius and its aftermath. Historians learnt about it because of an eyewitness, the account of pliny the younger. Mount vesuvius, a volcano near the bay of naples in italy, has erupted more than 50 times. Presuming were talking about the eruption in 79 ad. The writer pliny the younger, who was staying at a place west of naples, gave. This book looks at the rise, fall, and rediscovery of the great city of pompeii. From eruption to obliteration the sights and sounds of 48 fateful hours in pompeii before the eruption of mount vesuvius on 24 august 79 ce, pompeii was a thriving roman port city and commercial hub near modernday naples, and home to. A hill or mountain formed around and above a vent by accumulations of erupted materials, such as ash, pumice, cinders or lavaflow. This eruption is one of the deadliest in european history mount vesuvius violently spewed forth a deadly cloud of superheated tephra and gases to a height of 33 km 21 mi, ejecting molten rock, pulverized pumice and hot ash at 1.
The eruption of mount vesuvius in the gulf of naples, italy changed the landscape of the mediterranean forever. Eruption of mount vesuvius in 79 project gutenberg self. Overcome by the fumes and falling ash, the famed roman naturalist pliny the elder and his companion collapse in view of the 79 c. Vesuvius and its 79 ad eruption essay 1663 words bartleby. Oct 31, 20 the 79 ad eruption of mount vesuvius was one of the worst disasters in all of european history. Vesuvius erupts 79 ad mount vesuvius is recognized as one of the worlds most dangerous volcanoes. As others have said the processes that had built vesuvius were still active underneath the volcano. Mar 07, 2016 the low gold orchestra mountain heart part 2 official music video protectors of the earth. Pompeii was buried about 2040 feet underground and herculaneum about 6075 feet. This ancient roman painting survived eruption of mount. What caused the eruption of mount vesuvius in 1979 a. Vesuvius had been the epicenter of earthquakes for many years before the eruption. When mount vesuvius erupted on the morning of august 24, 79 a.
The enigma of the 79 ad eruption of vesuvius volcanocafe. The apennines that run down the spine of italy are a subduction boundary. Mount vesuvius erupts on the bay of naples, raining down fire and death from the skies. More people live dangerously close to it than to any other volcano anywhere in the world. This lesson will cover the facts about mount vesuvius.
By 8 am, pompeii, herculaneum, and the surrounding countryside were covered in ash. What were some of the effects of the 79 ad eruption in mt. Watch the destruction of pompeii by mount vesuvius, re. In this paper, i will be discussing volcanoes in general. The eruption of mount vesuvius in ad 79 destroyed the roman cities of pompeii, herculaneum, oplontis and stabiae, as well as several other settlements. This file is licensed under the creative commons attributionshare alike 3. The august 24 th eruption of vesuvius in 79 ad is the most famous and wellknown volcanic eruption of all time. These left extremely fertile soil that led to agricultural prosperity in the areas surrounding the volcano. Vesuvius, in particular, will be thoroughly looked at, as well as its 79 ad eruption. A young historian named pliny the younger witnessed the whole event from misenum, about 20 miles away. Archaeology of pompeii and herculaneum test i history. Of the many eruptions of mount vesuvius in italy, the most famous is the eruption in 79 ad. A firestorm of poisonous vapors and molten debris engulfed the surrounding area suffocating the inhabitants of the neighboring roman resort cities of pompeii, herculaneum and.
Shops were open, markets were busy and citizens were gathering in the forum to discuss politics and business. Science is allowing us to get closer to the people who lived in herculaneum. The eruption of mount vesuvius in 79 ad and the destruction. Pompeii and herculaneum destroyed in mount vesuvius eruption on this day in the year 79 ad, over people died from the eruption of mount vesuvius in the gulf of naples, italy. In the area around pompeii the thickness of falling debris increased by 6 to 8 inches per hour. The day had started like any other in the ancient roman city of pompeii. O n august 24, 79 mount vesuvius literally blew its top, spewing tons of molten ash, pumice and sulfuric gas miles into. It is one of the most famous and catastrophic eruptions ever. Firstcentury accounts of the eruption by his nephew. Some of the damage had still not been repaired when the volcano erupted.
It covered the region in volcanic ash 16 feet deep and buried the city alive. Pliny the younger the eruption of mt vesuvius 79 ad john. The most deadly part of it was the pyroclastic flow at the end. By now, volcanologists have pieced together the sequence of events to form a coherent and comprehensive picture and the only official dilemma is the actual date with meteorological evidence arguing a date towards the middle or end of september. Over the past decade the project has rewritten the story of the nearby. The day vesuvius blew its top photo 15 pictures cbs news. The low gold orchestra mountain heart part 2 official music video protectors of the earth. On this 1,937th anniversary of the blast, check out the hourbyhour timeline for. Saint helens, except there were no nearby cities hit by the pyroclastic flow of saint helens. Dec 31, 2019 one last unending night for the world. Sep 17, 2017 it was august 24, 79 ad when mount vesuvius erupted cataclysmically and wiped out the entire city of pompeii, causing a disaster of biblical proportions.
It is originally from doctor who episode fires of pompeii. The 79 ad eruption of mount vesuvius was one of the worst disasters in all of european history. Mount vesuvius eruption 1944 navy photograph of a vesuvius eruption. Sep 20, 2018 from eruption to obliteration the sights and sounds of 48 fateful hours in pompeii before the eruption of mount vesuvius on 24 august 79 ce, pompeii was a thriving roman port city and commercial hub near modernday naples, and home to an estimated 15,000 people. Its most famous eruption took place in the year 79 a. The subducting plate from the adriatic melts in the mantle below italy and the magma rises up and forms the volcanoes. By unravelling the details of wall paintings that are no longer visible to the naked eye, we are in essence bringing these ancient people back to life. Left behind with his schoolwork, the younger pliny watched the horror of vesuvius unfold, finally fleeing with his mother as the surge clouds approached misenum. Although a relatively young volcano, vesuvius had been dormant for centuries before the great eruption of 79 ce that buried the cities of pompeii, oplontis, and stabiae under ashes and lapilli and the city of herculaneum under a mudflow. Over 3 million people live in the immediate area of mt vesuvius.
In a near instant, over 15,000 people were dead and a city was completely destroyed. Aug 21, 2017 mount vesuvius destroyed the entire ancient roman city of pompeii in 79 a. It is certain that when the eruption of vesuvius started on the morning of 24 august, ad 79, it caught the local population utterly unprepared. At the time of the destruction pompeii was a flourishing ancient city with magnificent houses, streets and shops, but now everything would remain lost, forgotten, sealed. D the cities of pompeii and herculaneum were buried by an avalanche of boiling mud and lava. Vesuvius probably originated somewhat less than 200,000 years ago. Vesuvius erupted and distroyed the towns of pompeii and herculaneum. Mount vesuvius is a stratovolcano located near the bay of naples in italy at the convergent boundary where the african plate is being subducted beneath the eurasian plate, and it is mostly known for its eruption year 79 a. Although an earthquake had rocked the city some 17 years earlier, the evergrowing population had no cause for concern as they went about their daily lives. I did a project on mount vesuvius, and made this video as part of my presentation. It was august 24, 79 ad when mount vesuvius erupted cataclysmically and wiped out the entire city of pompeii, causing a disaster of biblical proportions. The eruption of mount vesuvius bible history online. The eruption ejected a cloud of stones, ashes and volcanic gases to a height of 33 km 21 mi, erupting molten rock and pulverized pumice at the rate of 6. Mount vesuvius eruption in 79 ad was so extreme it turned the.
Aug 24, 2016 on august 24th of 79 ce, mount vesuvius began to erupt and to destroy thousands of people, animals, and plants. Vesuvius has erupted dozens of times throughout history, the most recent being in 1944. The geosphere is affected by tephra deposits from volcanic ash and lava flows. A map showing the cities and towns affected by the eruption of mount vesuvius in 79 ad. The exhibit is about the cataclysmic eruption of mount vesuvius on 2425 august, 79 ad and the remains found from bronze sculptures to.
It seems strange to show the modern day english names for the two bodies of water i am open to suggestions. Mount vesuvius experiences vesuvian this type of eruption was actually named based on the 79 ad eruption of mt vesuvius and plinian eruptions. The people of pompeii had grown accustomed to the earthquakes and were not aware that these were signs of the eruption. I am grateful to you, for i see that his death will be remembered forever if you treat it sc. Mount vesuvius erupted continuously for almost a day, killing thousands of people and completely burying the nearby city of pompeii. Tremors were a frequent reoccurrence in pompeii so this raised no alarm. Mount vesuvius erupted in the year ad 79, burying the cities of pompeii, oplontis, and stabiae under ashes and rock fragments, and the city of herculaneum under a mudflow.
On august 24 th, 79 ad, mount vesuvius awoke, a volcano once thought to be extinct erupted covering the surrounding cities and those that remained in it with pumice, ash and debris cameron, 2006. Eruption of mount vesuvius of 79 ad bodies of mount vesuvius. The exhibit is about the cataclysmic eruption of mount vesuvius on 2425 august, 79 ad and the remains found from bronze sculptures to room size frescoes and. Over the past thousand years, there have been multiple eruptions, most notably in 79 ad. A good disaster story never fails to fascinate and, given that it actually happened, the story of pompeii especially so. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. The deaths of 600 sheep from tainted air in the vicinity of pompeii reported by seneca the younger leads haraldur sigurdsson. In its prime, vesuvius covered and demolished two of italys biggest cultural and artistic cities of its time. See more ideas about pompeii, pompeii and herculaneum and italy. The ad 79 eruption was preceded by a powerful earthquake seventeen years beforehand on february 5, ad 62, which caused widespread destruction around the bay of naples, and particularly to pompeii. One peaceful august day in ad 79, the people of pompeii were going about their businessbaking bread, eating lunch, lounging in the afternoon heat. The general shape of the ash and cinder fall see w. Pliny the younger the eruption of mt vesuvius 79 ad.
So accurate was plinys account that this type of volcanic eruption is now called plinian, in his honour. Apr 22, 2009 i did a project on mount vesuvius, and made this video as part of my presentation. The force of the eruption and the consequences were comparable to that of the atomic bombs dropped on the japanese cities of hiroshima and nagasaki during world war ii. The hydrosphere was affected because there was a minor tsunami on the second day of the eruption.
656 1410 549 11 773 250 435 1266 751 1066 1223 1472 1319 475 185 951 37 166 32 593 1448 1419 910 251 1442 486 874 340 657 375 338 127 1120 381 1418 305 331 299 250 124 703 54 897 1037 437 1416 946