Mount Vesuvius, Pompeii
By Mara Halbach
August 24th, 79 AD
"Just after midday on August 24, fragments of ash, pumice, and other volcanic debris began pouring down on Pompeii, quickly covering the city to a depth of more than 9 feet and causing the roofs of many houses to fall in. Surges of pyroclastic material and heated gas eached the city walls on the morning of August 25 and soon asphyxiated those residents who had not been killed by falling debris. Additional pyroclastic flows and rains of ash followed, adding at least another 9 feet of debris and preserving in a pall of ash the bodies of the inhabitants who perished while taking shelter in their houses or trying to escape toward the coast or by the roads leading to Stabiae or Nuceria. Thus Pompeii remained buried under a layer of pumice stones and ash 19 to 23 feet (6 to 7 metres) deep. The city’s sudden burial served to protect it for the next 17 centuries from vandalism, looting, and the destructive effects of climate and weather."
What Caused Mount Vesuvius to Erupt?
What Tectonic Plate Motions Were Involved?
Visuals
Mount Vesuvius
Ruins
Pompeii
Were there any survivors?
Sources
- Hall, Stephen S. "Vesuvius Countdown." Vesuvius. National Geographic, Sept. 2007. Web. 29 Mar. 2016.
- History.com Staff. "Eruption of Mount Vesuvius Begins." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2009. Web. 31 Mar. 2016.
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- Jashemski, Wilhelmina Feemster. "Pompeii." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
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