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12 Fascinating Facts On Mount Vesuvius
1. The people of Pompeii had no idea they lived near a volcano
We know how Vesuvius erupted and destroyed the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. If the people had known about the volcano, they might have chosen to leave rather than stay. Unfortunately, they had no idea they lived near a volcano, and Vesuvius had been dormant for years.
2. Vesuvius was formed from two volcanoes
Originally, there was Monte Somma, an old volcano that had seen better days. Vesuvius sprang up on top of Monte Somma, growing out of its predecessor’s caldera. Who knew even volcanoes could compete for power?
3. Before 79 AD, Mount Vesuvius remained nameless
Vesuvius was suddenly on the map after burying Pompeii and Herculaneum, but before the major eruption, it did not even have a name. It was only after the catastrophic event in 79 AD that the mountain was named Vesuvius, in honor of Vulcan, the Roman god of fire and forge.
4. It’s almost 400,000 years old
Mount Vesuvius, with a history extending back thousands of years before human contact, has been the subject of extensive scientific research. By examining ancient rock debris on the volcano, scientists have confirmed that it is around 300,000 to 400,000 years old. That’s definitely older than the last Ice Age!
5. Vesuvius has had 8 major eruptions till now
Over the past 17,000 years, Mount Vesuvius has experienced eight major eruptions, each contributing to its complex history. To add to that, Mount Vesuvius likely holds the record for the longest historical account of volcanic eruptions in the world.
6. Mount Vesuvius remained dormant for 1,800 years
For nearly 1,800 years, Mount Vesuvius was quiet, stable and dormant, giving no reason to worry. As a result, there was no time to react, as the volcano erupted and lava flowed at speeds exceeding 80 mph. Since then though, Vesuvius has erupted numerous times. The eruption in 472, for example, is said to have spewed ash that reached as far as present-day Istanbul.
7. The debris from the 79 AD eruption was extremely heavy
During the eruption of 79 AD, Mount Vesuvius released an astonishing 1.5 million tons of debris every second. To put that into perspective, it’s as if 250,000 fully grown elephants were raining down every single second. In fact, the ash from the eruption became so dense that it plunged people into complete darkness.
8. The 79 AD eruption lasted over 24 hours
Stretching over more than 24 hours, the prolonged duration was due to the complex dynamics of the eruption, which involved a series of explosive bursts and pyroclastic flows. Much of our understanding of the eruption’s duration comes from the account of Pliny the Younger, who was staying to the west along the Bay of Naples when Vesuvius erupted.
9. Tax exemption for the 512 AD eruption
The severity of the 512 Vesuvius eruption was such that Theodoric the Great, Ostrogoth king of Italy, granted a tax exemption to those living on the fertile slopes of Vesuvius. The 512 eruption is described in detail by Cassiodorus, a quaestor of King Theodoric, in a letter requesting tax exemption for the populations affected by the eruption.
10. Vesuvius is a stratovolcano
Now that sounds quite fancy, doesn’t it? A stratovolcano is a big, steep volcano that builds up from layers of lava, ash, and rocks. It often has big, explosive eruptions because the lava is thick and sticky. Vesuvius, too, is a stratovolcano, formed by layers of ash and lava from many eruptions over time. Another example of a stratovolcano is Mount Fuji.
11. Pliny the Younger first talked about the Vesuvius eruption
The very first detailed account of a volcanic eruption comes from Pliny the Younger, who witnessed the 79 AD eruption from his home in the Bay of Naples. Pliny managed to escape, unlike his uncle, Pliny the Elder, who was killed by the eruption. Volcanologists now use the term ‘Plinian’ to describe big volcanic eruption clouds, named after Pliny the Younger.
12. Mount Vesuvius has fertile slopes
Did you know that volcanic soil is great for cultivation? Currently, fruits like pears, apples and mulberries as well as vegetables like friarielli and broccoli are grown on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius. Vineyards also have been established here.