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VESUVIUS

Vesuvius

Vesuvius

Vesuvius (Latin), Vesuvio (Italian) is the only active volcano in mainland Europe located on the shore of the Naples Bay 16 kilometers east of the Naples. The volcano is 1,281 meters high, its crater being around 750 meters in diameter. The Vesuvius volcano is part of the Roman alkaline volcanic province being part of the Mediterranean mobile belt stretching from Western Europe to Indonesia. It belongs to explosive type of the old volcanoes, which by throwing over first lava and then cinder form complicated cones consisting of layers of solidified lava and volcanic ash following one another. The Vesuvius volcano is an heir of a more ancient Somme volcano, a mountain, which lost its upper part in prehistoric time (around 17 thousand years ago). At the present time Vesuvius has three cones put into one another, while the outer one – Monte-Somme is very much destroyed. Modern geophysical surveys found under Vesuvius several magma chambers: the closest to the surface is around 3 kilometers deep; the deepest is about 10-15 kilometers deep. Continental core under the Vesuvius volcano is condensed into thickness of Triassic dolomites up to 7 kilometers thick and the under-layer of bedrock of earlier stages of the development of the Mediterranean Belt metamorphosed under circumstances of facies of mica-schist.

In the crater and in the fresh lava streams at some points water vapors and gasses break out at 400 Celsius degrees. The lavas and tuffs being blown out created the fertile soil of the slopes of Vesuvius. The lower parts of the slopes are occupied by orchard gardens and vine trees. Higher, up to 800 meters high, – mainly by pine groves. During eruptions these plants and settlements frequently become victims of the elements. Strong eruptions of the Vesuvius are usually followed by periods of low activity.

The first eruption known to us took place in 79. There are some historic opinions that the first eruption of the volcano occurred in VIII century B.C. Powerful eruptions took place in 1631, 1794, 1822, 1872, 1906 and 1944. Lava of the 1944 eruption destroyed the city of San Sebastiano. After that eruption the Vesuvius volcano is in the weak phase of fumarole activity.

A typical characteristic of the Vesuvius’ activity in the past is eruption of a big quantity of ash and gasses forming a pillar taking on the form of a cloud above in the shape of an Italian pine tree – Pynia. Formation of the Pynia was many times accompanied by thunderstorm and pouring rain, the waters of which mingled with the ash formed streams of dirt no less dangerous than lava. Such streams destroyed the city of Herculaneum in 79; the city of Stabia was flooded by lava; the city of Pompeii was fully buried under volcanic ash that formed a covering 8 meters thick above the buildings.

The famous eruption of the Vesuvius volcano in 79 A.D. was preceded by several eruptions of the same kind. One of them, the Avellino eruption, took place at the time of Bronze Age in around 1660 B.C. and caused global changes of climate at the end of XVII century B.C. From the antique authorities we know about several eruptions that took place 200 years before the catastrophe of 79 B.C. In 63 A.D. Herculaneum and Pompeii located on the shore of the Naples – in the ancient time Kuman – Bay were seriously damaged by a severe earthquake; and not all the ruined buildings were restored even 16 years after that, by the time of these two cities’ perish.

The eruption of Vesuvius on 24-25 of August of 79 A.D. destroyed four Roman cities: Herculaneum, Pompeii, Applotia and Stabia. Priceless testimonies about this catastrophe are preserved by a Roman writer Pliny the Younger in two letters sent to famous historian Tacitus. Originally, in the vicinities of the volcano, even within 30 kilometers, tremors of earth could be sensed, but people, who were used to such phenomena, paid no attention to it. On the first day a cloud looking like a Pynia and unusual in its shape formed above the Vesuvius being partially white and covered in some places by dirty spots. This appearance alarmed the commander of the squad Pliny the Elder, who ordered his men to sail to Pompeii.

The closer the ships sailed towards the city, the more frequently ash, pieces of pumice stone and stones split up by fire began to drop on them. When access to the shore was blocked by a sandbank and parts of the rock Pliny made a decision to go to Stabia and try to evacuate the people fleeing from the city. When the night fell, lava began to flow from the Vesuvius; fires occurred everywhere; it was hard to breath because of the ash. The next day did not bring any relief. It was pith dark as if at night time. Having realized that it was impossible to sail away from the city, the people who were trying to escape the fire and the stifling smell of brimstone ran away. More than two thousand people were killed. Pliny the Elder, Pliny the Younger’s uncle also died of stifling.

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Один комментарий

  1. Иногда люди задумываются об Апокалипсисе. Какой он будет? Как скоро? Произойдет ли апокалипсис в его жизни, или жизни детей? Один из вариантов апокалипсисов уже был на земле (и возможно не раз). Я веду речь об супервулканах. Извержение которых (хотя бы одного из них) может уничтожить жизнь на континенте, устроить холодные года для всей планеты Земля. На сайте http://vylkan2012.narod2.ru расказывается о спящих супервулканах. Которые ждут своего дня, часа и минуты.

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