Page 178 - Super Earth Encyclopedia

AVALANCHE

OF FIRE

POMPEII

Mount Vesuvius in Italy is one of the world’s most
dangerous volcanoes. This was proved nearly 2,000 years
ago, when an explosive eruption hurled a vast cloud of
volcanic gas and ash high into the sky. As people ran for
their lives, parts of the ash cloud collapsed and surged
downhill in high-speed avalanches of lethally hot gas
and rock. These pyroclastic flows overwhelmed the
nearby cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum, killing
thousands of people within seconds, and burying
them in deep layers of ash.

AT A GLANCE

• LOCATION Near Naples in
southern Italy
• VOLCANO TYPE Stratovolcano
• ERUPTION DATE 79 ce
• ERUPTION TYPE Explosive, with
pyroclastic flows

STATS AND FACTS

MOUNT VESUVIUS BURIED IN ASH
Traces of about 1,500 Since 79 ce, Animals were
people buried by the Mount Vesuvius buried in ash, too,
eruption have been has erupted including a dog
found in Pompeii. about 36 times. guarding the house
of its owner.
Their bodies left TEMPERATURE gas and rock had a temperature
cavities in the ash,
DISASTER ZONES used as moulds to °F 100 of up to 572°F (300°C).
The pyroclastic flows of hot
which excavators have
create plaster casts.
°C
200
300
212
572
392
ASH CLOUD WAS
UP TO
19
MILES
(30 KM)
176 HIGH

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