Yes, Mount Vesuvius is considered an active volcano. It very well could erupt again. Mount Vesuvius sits on top of an extremely deep layer of magma that goes 154 miles into the earth. So, the next Mount Vesuvius eruption will happen, and it won’t be pretty.

northern hemisphere

Mount Vesuvius forms an iconic backdrop to the Bay of Naples, Italy, and is one of Europe’s most active volcanoes. It is best known for an eruption in AD 79 that buried the Roman settlements of Pompeii and Herculaneum under metres of ash.

stratovolcano volcano

Did you know? Mount Vesuvius has not erupted since 1944, but it is still one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world.

In late August 2020, Mount Vesuvius erupted for the first time since 1944. The eruption was the first to be classified as VEI 9 becoming the strongest eruption ever, causing catastrophic destruction…

Vesuvius volcano

By some expert estimates, a VEI 4 or 5 eruption could kill over 10,000 people and cost the Italian economy more than $20 billion. Millions of people would certainly lose power, water and transportation, some for months.

When Vesuvius erupted, hundreds of Herculaneum residents fled to a nearby beach and perished while trying to escape; some experts previously concluded that the intense heat of melted rock, volcanic gases and ash, known as pyroclastic flows, vaporized the victims instantly.

That’s because between 15,000 and 20,000 people lived in Pompeii and Herculaneum, and the majority of them survived Vesuvius’ catastrophic eruption. One of the survivors, a man named Cornelius Fuscus later died in what the Romans called Asia (what is now Romania) on a military campaign.

Two figures were discovered in the volcanic wreckage of Pompeii, positioned such that one’s head rests on the other’s chest. Thought to be women, they’ve come to be known as ‘The Two Maidens. ‘ But recent archaeological efforts have revealed the two figures are actually men.

This is not art, it is not imitation; these are their bones, the remains of their flesh and their clothes mixed with plaster, it is the pain of death that takes on body and form.” Pompeii now contains the bodies of more than 100 people preserved as plaster casts.

Where was Pompeii located? The ancient Roman city of Pompeii was located in what is now the Campania region of Italy, southeast of Naples.

The volcano blasted waves of scorching volcanic debris, the ‘pyroclastic flows’ containing gas, ash, and rock. It is still an active volcano, being the only estimating one in the entire is of Europe. Of course, Pompeii was not the only city destroyed by the eruption in 79AD.

A giant cloud of ash and gases released by Vesuvius in 79 AD took about 15 minutes to kill the inhabitants of Pompeii, research suggests.

The individuals in the boat houses died relatively quickly: The volcanic ash blocked the entrance to each structure, and the temperature of the air within probably rose to about 400°C—even hotter than a wood-fired oven. …

If another large, caldera-forming eruption were to occur at Yellowstone, its effects would be worldwide. Such a giant eruption would have regional effects such as falling ash and short-term (years to decades) changes to global climate. Forecasting Ashfall Impacts from a Yellowstone Supereruption.

Mount Vesuvius is considered to be one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world because of its proximity to the city of Naples and the surrounding towns on the nearby slopes. A pyroclastic flow is a high-density mix of hot lava blocks, pumice, ash and volcanic gas, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

southern Italy

Naples

Mauna Loa

Italy’s Mt. Vesuvius is a famous cinder cone volcano. In contrast, shield volcanoes are characterized by a large, broad cone with sides sloping gently away from the center. The lava that erupts from these volcanoes is a thin liquid that slowly emerges from the center of the volcano as well as from cracks in its sides.

The remains of over 1,500 people have been found at Pompeii and Herculaneum so far, although the total death toll from the eruption remains unknown….Eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.

Cornelius Fuscus

No, they did not. Vesuvius had not erupted in the preceding 1500 years; there was no apprehension that it would. The Roman world was notably uninformed about volcanoes in general; they had Stromboli and Mt Etna, and not much else.

Current Eruptions

Yellowstone supervolcano

Kīlauea Activity Summary: Kīlauea Volcano is no longer erupting. No surface activity has been observed by field crews or webcam images over the past week. Sulfur dioxide emission rates remain slightly elevated.

If you’re particularly looking to see “Red Hot Lava”, these are among the best places to go to:

• #1: Stromboli volcano – the lighthouse of the Mediterranean.
• #2: Dukono and Ibu – Indonesia’s most active volcanoes.
• #3: Erta Ale, Ethiopia: the best lava lake to see from close.