The 79 AD Eruption of Mt. Vesuvius
Mount Vesuvius is located in what is now Campania, Italy, near the Bay of Naples. It`s most famous eruption was in 79 AD, when the volcano erupted and destroyed several Roman settlements, namely Pompeii and Herculaneum. The volcanic eruption buried the people of Pompeii and other Roman cities under hot volcanic ash. We know a lot of information from first-hand encounters about that day and the days following the eruption from diaries and Roman authors who described the volcanic explosion in detail. The volcano erupted on what is very likely to be August 24, and it was unexpected. There were two earthquakes before the eruption stemming from Mount Vesuvius, one on 62 AD followed by one on 64 AD, probably a sign that the volcano would erupt. The citizens didn`t think much of it since they were used to minor quakes, as Pliny the Younger stated in one of his letters. On the day of the eruption, they were just going about their day when they noticed black smoke and white smoke coming from the volcano. Some people managed to escape, but not everyone could, and they began to inhale the gases coming from the volcano, which killed some of the people and animals. Many got
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But, unfortunately, it wasn`t over. Around midnight, lava and volcanic mud began quickly flowing from the volcano towards Herculaneum and killed lots of people, and the citizens began fleeing towards Pompeii. Sometime later that day, around 6:00 a.m., Vesuvius began erupting tephra and volcanic material. This giant pyroclastic cloud of extremely hot temperatures began rapidly travelling through Pompeii, scorching everything in its path. Most people died as soon as they breathed the air, which burned their lungs and contracted their muscles. The ashes completely buried the city of Pompeii. By evening, the eruption was over, and Pompeii was obliterated. There was a mild tsunami in the Bay of