Mt. Vesuvius

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Mt. Vesuvius

• Location Vesuvius, Italy
• 40.8 N 14.4 E
• Elevation 1,281 m (4,200 ft)
• Covers approximately 480 Km2

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Mt. Vesuvius
http//asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/gallery.htm?n
ameVesuvius
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Continental-Oceanic Plate
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Important Geologic Information
Magma types 1.) Felsic 2.)
Intermediate 3.) Mafic Primarily Felsic,
High Viscosity Minerals from lava Plagioclase,
Augate, Nephaline Eruption type Explosive with
pyroclastic flows
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79 AD Eruption

• The Vesuvius eruption began at midday on
• August 24, 79 AD
• There were two phases of this eruption
• 1.)Plinian phase, where material was ejected in a
  tall column, spread in atmosphere and fell to
  earth like rain.
• 2) Peléan phase where material flowed down the
  sides of the volcano as fast-moving avalanches of
  gas and dust (pyroclastic flow).

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Phase One
The first phase created a Plinian column
approximately 20 km (66,000 feet) high. This
phase created a rain of ash and pumice over a
broad area primarily to the south of Vesuvius,
carried by prevailing winds. This phase lasted
approximately eighteen hours, when approximately
2.5 meters (8.2 feet) of pumice stones fell on
Pompeii.
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Phase Two
A pyroclastic flow as seen in the picture here
carries rock debris, ash and dangerous gases down
the mountain similar to an avalanche.
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Aftermath of Eruption

• Over 3,300 people died in this eruption alone.
• Most of which were killed in position from the
  pyroclastic flow.
• Vesuvius eruption buried the towns of Herculaneum
  and Pompeii.
• The city was abandoned and its location forgotten
  until 1595.

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Pompeii

• Photograph is looking northwest from Pompeii to
  Vesuvius. Photo by Chuck Wood.

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• Mold of a dog that was chained up during the
  eruption and eventually suffocated from the
  almost ten feet of volcanic ash that fell on
  Pompeii.

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What If...

• If the Volcano erupted today
• over 130 million people would be effected over
  seven days from ash and other debris.
• Over 1.5 million people live within two kilometer
  of Mt. Vesuvius, and would most likely die in an
  eruption, if it occurred today.
• Most likely little to no warning.

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Works Cited

• http//www.hotelolimpico.it/-vesuvio.htm
• http//volcano.und.nodak.edu/vwdocs/volc_images/im
  g_vesuvius.html
• http//volcano.und.nodak.edu/vwdocs/vw_hyperexchan
  ge/deadly_volcs.html
• http//volcano.und.nodak.edu/vwdocs/volc_images/im
  g_vesuvius.html
• http//asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/gallery.htm?n
  ameVesuvius
• http//touritaly.org/misc/vesuvio-pre.htm