Mt. Vesuvius
Mt. Vesuvius is one of the worlds most studied volcanoes. It has an altitude of 1281 meters and covers an area of about 480 sq. km. The most noteworthy event in Vesuvius’ history occurred in 79 AD. That is the year that Vesuvius brought an end to the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum.
The development of Mt. Vesuvius has been studied since Roman times. The magma chamber of Vesuvius lies at a depth of 5-6 km, according to current estimates. The volcanic activity started about 10,000 years ago. Periods of frequent eruption alternated with periods of absolute tranquility that sometimes lasted more than 2000 years. Before the disastrous eruption of 79 AD Vesuvius had been quiet for 1200 years; only a few scientists knew that it was a volcano. The history of this, the most famous eruption in Europe, is known through a detailed description by Pliny the Younger in two letters to Tacitus. Since 79 AD Vesuvius has been active at irregular intervals, but has seldom remained quiet very long. The last major eruption occurred in 1944, but activity may start up at any moment.
Credit for the info above: Blanchard, Paul. “Blue Guide, Southern Italy; From Rome to Calabria”, New York: W. W. Norton & Company Inc., 1982. (p.46)
Above: Naples in the foreground with Mt. Vesuvius looming ominously in the Background. This picture was taken at about 1pm on a cool spring day. It amazes me that something that looks so large in person can look so small in a photograph. On the right you can see the bay of Naples and beyond that the Sorrento coast line. As is typical in this region, a light haze is being produced by the water vapor in the air.
Below: This is a picture that does not do any justice to the beauty that Mother Nature had created on this day. The rainbow against the mostly clear sky was surreal. It was awe inspiring in person. This picture was shot from the top of the hill in Monte di Procida. What you see from front to back is the town of Bacoli, the gulf of Pozzuoli, the partial rainbow, the city of Pozzuoli (across the water), and Mt. Vesuvius in the background.
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