Vesusio
Location : 40° 49’ N, 14° 26’ E
Elivation: 1281 m
Vesuvio is a somma--stratovolcano located on the Gulf of Naples in
Campania Italy, about 9 km east of Naples and a short distance from the
shore. It is one of several volcanoes which form the Campanian volcanic arc.
Others include Campi Flegrei, , a large caldera a few kilometers to the north
west, Mount Epomeo, 20 kilometres to the west on the island of Ischia, and
several undersea volcanoes to the south. Vesuvio consists a large cone (Gran
Cono) partially encircled by the steep rim of a summit caldera caused by the
collapse of an earlier and originally much higher structure called Mount
Somma. The caldera started forming during an eruption around 17,000 (or
18,300) years ago and was enlarged by later paroxysmal eruptions the Gran Cono was produced during the A.D. 79
eruption. The height of the main cone has been constantly changed by eruptions, today it is 1,281 m. Monte Somma is
1,132 m high, separated from the main cone by the valley of Atrio di Cavallo, which is 5 km long. Mount Vesuvio has
erupted many times. The famous eruption in AD 79 was preceded by numerous others in prehistory, including at least three
significantly larger ones, the best known being the Avellino eruption around 1800 BC which engulfed several Bronze Age
settlements. Since AD 79, the volcano has also erupted repeatedly, in 172, 203, 222, possibly in 303, 379, 472, 512, 536,
685, 787, around 860, around 900, 968, 991, 999, 1006, 1037, 1049, around 1073, 1139, 1150, and there may have been
eruptions in 1270, 1347, and 1500. The volcano erupted again in 1631, six times in the 18th century (especially in 1779 and
1794), eight times in the 19th century (notably in 1872), and in 1906, 1929 and 1944. There has been no eruptions since
1944, and none of the eruptions after AD 79 were as large or destructive as the Pompeian one. The eruption in AD 79 led
to the burying and destruction of the Roman cities of Pompeji and Herculaneum as well as several other settlements. The
eruption ejected a cloud of stones, ashes and volcanic gases to a height of 33 km, spewing molten rocks and pulverized
pumice at the rate of 6×105 cubic metres per second, ultimately releasing a hundred thousand times the thermal energy
released by the Hiroshima-Nagasaki bombings. Vesuvio has erupted many times since and is the only volcano on the
European mainland to have erupted within the last hundred years. Today, it is regarded as one of the most dangerous
volcanoes in the world, because of the population of 3,000,000 people living nearby and its tendency towards violent,
explosive eruptions of the Plinian type. It is the most densely populated volcanic region in the world ( Wikipedia).
click on pictures to enlarge
9.-13. October 2016
HOME
Videos: Valentin Kordes
Campania Italy, about 9 km east of Naples and a short distance from the
shore. It is one of several volcanoes which form the Campanian volcanic arc.
Others include Campi Flegrei, , a large caldera a few kilometers to the north
west, Mount Epomeo, 20 kilometres to the west on the island of Ischia, and
several undersea volcanoes to the south. Vesuvio consists a large cone (Gran
Cono) partially encircled by the steep rim of a summit caldera caused by the
collapse of an earlier and originally much higher structure called Mount
Somma. The caldera started forming during an eruption around 17,000 (or
18,300) years ago and was enlarged by later paroxysmal eruptions the Gran Cono was produced during the A.D. 79
eruption. The height of the main cone has been constantly changed by eruptions, today it is 1,281 m. Monte Somma is
1,132 m high, separated from the main cone by the valley of Atrio di Cavallo, which is 5 km long. Mount Vesuvio has
erupted many times. The famous eruption in AD 79 was preceded by numerous others in prehistory, including at least three
significantly larger ones, the best known being the Avellino eruption around 1800 BC which engulfed several Bronze Age
settlements. Since AD 79, the volcano has also erupted repeatedly, in 172, 203, 222, possibly in 303, 379, 472, 512, 536,
685, 787, around 860, around 900, 968, 991, 999, 1006, 1037, 1049, around 1073, 1139, 1150, and there may have been
eruptions in 1270, 1347, and 1500. The volcano erupted again in 1631, six times in the 18th century (especially in 1779 and
1794), eight times in the 19th century (notably in 1872), and in 1906, 1929 and 1944. There has been no eruptions since
1944, and none of the eruptions after AD 79 were as large or destructive as the Pompeian one. The eruption in AD 79 led
to the burying and destruction of the Roman cities of Pompeji and Herculaneum as well as several other settlements. The
eruption ejected a cloud of stones, ashes and volcanic gases to a height of 33 km, spewing molten rocks and pulverized
pumice at the rate of 6×105 cubic metres per second, ultimately releasing a hundred thousand times the thermal energy
released by the Hiroshima-Nagasaki bombings. Vesuvio has erupted many times since and is the only volcano on the
European mainland to have erupted within the last hundred years. Today, it is regarded as one of the most dangerous
volcanoes in the world, because of the population of 3,000,000 people living nearby and its tendency towards violent,
explosive eruptions of the Plinian type. It is the most densely populated volcanic region in the world ( Wikipedia).
click on pictures to enlarge
9.-13. October 2016
HOME
Videos: Valentin Kordes