Today, many people may consider Mount Vesuvius, as an object of special interest and marvel; to others it is possibly one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world. This was not always so. “During the historic period previous to the Christian era, Vesuvius was not considered an active volcano” (Lobely, 1889, p.6) . By 79 A.D, Vesuvius made history as it came alive, and destroyed cities and killed thousands of people. A series of eruptions over the years have created what we know today as the magnificent Mount Vesuvius. To fully understand the wonders or the dangers of Vesuvius, one must first understand the inner structure and geological evolution of the volcano.
Volcanoes are considered to be the Earth’s vents; they allow certain things such as molten rocks, and debris from Earth’s upper mantle to be released on Earth’s surface. Volcanoes get their mountain-like shape because the lava and ash that has been produced year after year collects and hardens. Over 1,000 volcanoes are either considered active, dormant or extinct. An active volcano is likely to erupt at any time. Volcanoes that are dormant show no current signs of erupting soon but are likely to become active in the future. Other volcanoes are considered extinct, which means there is no possibility that the volcano will ever become active again. Among the active volcanoes in the world is Mount Vesuvius, which is located on the west coast of Italy. This is the only active volcano in continental Europe.
Volcanoes appear by a process known as plate tectonics. Plate tectonics are an age-old theory that says the Earth's outer shell is divided into several plates. There is evidence that a number of the countries were initially close together and that evidence is used to su...
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...neous Processes and Volcanism. The essential earth (2nd ed., p. 162). New York: W.H. Freeman.
Lobley, J. L. (1889). Mount Vesuvius A descriptive, historical, and geological account of the volcano and its surroundings,. London: Roper and Drowley.
Mount Vesuvius - Italy. (n.d.). Mount Vesuvius, Italy: Map, Facts, Eruption Pictures, Pompeii. Retrieved April 24, 2014, from http://geology.com/volcanoes/vesuvius/
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Sebastian Pether’s piece of work called The Eruption of Vesuvius (1835) combines the silver watery reflection of the moon with the hot red molten lava that is flowing down its mountainsides. Though during Pether’s generation he wasn’t the only one to paint the well-known Mount Vesuvius, Joseph Wright of Derby also painted 30 paintings of the volcano. This art piece is currently located at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. The piece is oil media on panel that is framed with a beautifully designed border, where it is hanging on a wall in the one of the rooms, with a one-dimension view. The quality of the piece owes itself to the color and lighting, which captures your immediate attention and guides the viewer through the piece.
On the afternoon of 24th August 79 AD, a volcano called Mt. Vesuvius erupted, which resulted in destroyed lives of citizens, it was estimated that there were 10 to 12 thousand people who occupied the city .The cities of Pompeii, Herculaneum and a few others were severely affected by the eruption. The cities are well known for its beautiful landscapes and its temperate climate.Pompeii is based in the south, close to Naples in the region of Campania in Italy.The eruption started a series of events such as pumice,rocks and ashes falling down and caused hot volcanic gases to rise high in the sky, people from around 100 miles away could see the event unfolding.The remains of Pompeii and other cities was frozen in time due to the pyroclastic surges
Mount Vesuvius is one of history’s most recognizable Volcanoes, as each of its eruptions have gone down as a significant event in geologic history. The events that transpired during and after these eruptions have shaped the way scientists and people view the sheer power that these volcanoes possessed. This report will take a look at Vesuvius’ most prolific eruption in 79 AD. The geologic setting of the mountain, precursor activity, and the impact the eruption had on the surrounding populations and towns will all be detailed. Along with these details, this report will also look at the further history of Vesuvius’s explosive past by detailing its eruption cycle. Finally, the current state of Vesuvius and the possible danger the current population living near the mountain could face should it erupt explosively again.
Mount Vesuvius is located in the Bay of Naples in Southern Italy. Its Latitude and Longitude is 40.8224° N, 14.4289° E. It is a stratovolcano and has a height of 1277 meters (1490 feet) and base of 48 kilometers (30 miles). Mount Vesuvius has erupted over 30 times and has a repose time that can last for months or even years between eruptions. Its eruptions are explosive and is dominated by pyroclastic flows. The eruption materials are usually an ash cloud with lightening that spews out dense ash falls. The lava can shoot up to 4km into the air. The most famous eruptions of Mt. Vesuvius were in 79 A.D. which destroyed the cities of Herculaneum and Pompeii. The cities were covered in 20 feet of volcanic debris. The estimated death toll was over 1000 people. The
Wood and Kienle, 1990, Volcanoes of North America: United States and Canada: Cambridge University Press, 354 p., p. 158-160, Contribution by Patrick Pringle.
Volcanism is a major part of the Galapagos and their formation. The island chain is positioned on the Nazca Plate, which is subducting beneath the South American Plate at a geologically rapid pace of 2.5 inches per year. In addition, this Nazca Plate is located directly on top of the Galapagos Hotspot. It is here that mantle plumes melt Earth’s crust, creating volcanoes as a product. The oldest island was first shaped by this ...
"Mount Shasta." USGS: Volcano Hazards Program - Mount Shasta. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 May 2014.
Volcanoes. The naturally forming landforms that can look remarkably beautiful. Gentle slopes, or high rising heights with snow caps and greenery that seems to attract many tourists and sightseers around the world. These magnificent landforms can also cause major destruction and can produce forces that can explode, burn, and create a great deal of damage. Two of these extravagant wonders of the world is the Mount Saint Helens composite volcano in Washington, US, and the Mauna Loa shield volcano in Hawaii, US. These landforms have a eruption history of many colors. One has a great power in eruption, but another has a eruption that is quiet and gentle. In comparing these two volcanoes there are many likes, and dislikes, to consider. So the following
Stories about volcanoes are captivating. Myths come in different versions, but all of them are capable of capturing yours, and everybody’s imagination.
Super volcanoes are formed when magma rises from the mantle to create a scorching reservoir in the Earth's
while trying to help the residents of Pompeii. Today the type of eruption that Mount Vesuvius
From modern examples and records we know that volcanic activity can set of a chai...
Volcanoes are formed when magma is expelled from the Earth’s surface, resulting in volcanic eruptions consisting of ash and lava. Over time, the lava cools and forms into rock on the Earth’s surface. Whenever an eruption occurs, the newly-formed rock from the lava layers continuously until the volcano takes its shape. Volcanic eruptions have taken place for thousands of years, and even today, according to the U.S Geological Survey (2010), there are approximately 1500 active volcanoes located throughout the world.
Mount Vesuvius is a strato-volcano consisting of a volcanic cone (Gran Cono) that was built within a summit caldera (Mount Somma). The Somma-Vesuvius complex has formed over the last 25,000 years by means of a sequence of eruptions of variable explosiveness, ranging from the quiet lava outpourings that characterized much of the latest activity (for example from 1881 to 1899 and from 1926 to 1930) to the explosive Plinian eruptions, including the one that destroyed Pompeii and killed thousands of people in 79 A.D. At least seven Plinian eruptions have been identified in