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George Sevy

Geology 1010
10/8/13
Vesuvius: The Ancient Legend
Imagine if you can the pristine environment of the ancient Mediterranean. The warm
salty wind from the bay of Naples on Italys western edge meets the ever onward sea matched
by the blue sky and rich green topography abundant with vineyards and farmland. Towering
over all land, sea and life is the majesty of Vesuvius. For thousands of years mankind has laid
claim over these fertile slopes, unaware that the source comes from the heart of the mountain
itself. On that fateful day in 79 A.D. this mountain finally gave way, blackening out the sky and
shaking the earth. The ancient residents had no clue what fate had in store for them; the only
explanation they could believe was this destruction was the wrath of the gods. In these modern
times our knowledge of volcanism and plate tectonics creates a much more realistic picture.
Like many volcanic systems the uplift of magma to this mountain is caused by the
interaction of two tectonic plates, a convergent boundary to be exact. The collision of the
Eurasian and African plate is the cause for this dynamic reaction. Essentially as the heavy
basaltic mass of the African plate under the Mediterranean sinks under the lighter Felsic of the
continental mass of Italy the rock sinks deeper until it heats up enough to cause a rise of molten
magma about 60 miles from the subduction zone The magma chamber beneath Vesuvius is
some 5 kilometers below the volcano, almost 2 kilometers high, and about a kilometer in
diameter (Boer 79). This is also the source of multiple magma chambers dotting the western
edge if Italy, this ring of volcanic activity is also known as the Campanian volcanic arc. Other
famous volcanoes in this arc include Mount Etna, Stromboli, and Campi Flegrei which is in close
proximity to Vesuvius. Interestingly enough, the past release of the magma chamber of the
massive Campi Flegrei essentially became a caldera influencing the modern shape of the Bay of
Naples itself.
As is apparent in this area, the movement of the earths crust forms much of the
topography of western Italy. Vesuvius was caused by this action but interestingly enough it is
not even the original mountain. That title can be claimed by Mount Somma, which is
technically the original mountain formed much earlier. There is evidence to prove that
Vesuvius rose up through Somma at least a few hundred to a thousand years before the famed
eruption in 79 A.D. The evidence is solidified from accounts of an eruption around 1550 B.C. of
which no writing describing the existence of Vesuvius is recorded The Somma- Vesuvius
complex has been the source of four major eruptions (1550 B.C.E, 79, 472,and 1631 C.E.) (Boer
77) These early eruptions are also evident by the half bowl shape currently imbedded by
Vesuvius. The eruption style of Somma is thought to be about the same, with a large tree of
volcanic ash and rock expelled many kilometers into the atmosphere. The long forgotten
eruption of this even older volcano are present by the collapsed center or caldera of the
original which in time filled in to create the conical extrusion of Vesuvius at the lowest point of
this collapsed caldera. Presently only the northern flank of Somma is at a height that is above
the base of Vesuvius, forming almost a half ring with an indentation which can significantly
affect the pyroclastic flows of major eruptions.
This shape created by the dual presence of two separate eras of volcanism makes the
Mount Somma-Vesuvius complex an interesting shape in comparison to other well known
volcanoes. The official definition for this shape is convex-concave, the convex is attributed to
the expansion of the Vesuvius cone, while the concave applies to the sunken summit of the
post Somma eruptions. Since Vesuvius is now the active vent for the magma chamber there is
specific terminology for this up risen foundation of earth. Volcanologists describe this structure
as a composite volcano. This high altitude and very conical structure is caused by multiple
factors. First of all is the obvious pressure that the magma chamber inflicts upon the mountain
to raise above the existing structure. Second is the product of subsequent eruptions that form
the actual shape of Vesuvius. Starting from the base alternating layers of rock and ashen
sediment consolidate into the massive monolith of major power. As one would expect it would
take a series of explosive eruptions to form a body of this size.
Contained to history and archeology is the most prominent of these eruptions, one so
powerful that it is even considered the most well-known volcanic disaster of all time. As I
mentioned before this cataclysmic event occurred in 79 A.D., well beyond the constraints of our
knowledge on these natural phenomenon. The people making residence around this mountain
were well aware of its presence, but apparently they had forgotten of the massive power
associated with their landscape since the Somma eruption of years past. As the area became
more populated the pressure put on Vesuvius raised. For several years before the destructive
eruption there were series of earthquakes forceful enough to cause damage to the
infrastructure of surrounding cities, including Pompeii and Herculaneum. In A.D. 64 Suetonius
claimed that Nero had been singing in the theater in Naples at the time, and that the emperor,
who had an unfailing belief in his own talents had continued his performance unabashed and
undeterred (Scarth 47). If these ancient people had the knowledge we do now, many would
have fled much earlier till these events came to a head.
This initial blast was one of significant power. The felsic composition of the earth at the
surface gained enough gaseous pressure of CO2 that the ground itself gave way and continued
spewing several thousand tons of ash and rock fragments miles into to the sky. As the dense
bodies of molten rock solidified and fell to the ground the Roman occupants had one of two
choices, to run or to seek the closest shelter. In the end those who evacuated first were able to
avoid this torrential downpour. An eruption of this style, which is described as a tree or
mushroom cloud extending to the stratosphere is known as Plinian eruption. The origin of this
description comes from the name of Pliny the Younger, whose account lead to full historical
documentation of the event is recognized as the definitive description of the event. The first
stage of the eruption began between 10- 11 am on Aug. 24 First, huge stones were hurled
aloft, rising as high as the highest summits. Then came a great quantity of fire and endless
smoke, so that the whole atmosphere was obscured and the Sun was entirely hidden (Scarth
55). At this point the destruction at hand becomes evident; as those who do not have the
courage to tread outside strive maintain their shelter. Even as the weight of ash and rock was
enough to collapse roofs and destroy buildings, this is not the most powerful force this eruption
can muster. That role belongs to the pyroclastic flows and hot mud flows of the secondary
eruption that literally mowed down anything in its path. These flows are created when the
magma chamber empties and begins to lose pressure. All of the matter that was being spouted
into the air is now pouring over the side of the mountain, following the topography of the
mountain itself, on a path that was the eventual downfall for the fateful cities of Pompeii and
Herculaneum. The latter was the first to feel the effects of the shear mass roaring down the
side of the mountain. As is common for the high altitude of composite volcanoes the peak has
an accumulation of snow. Incorporated with the heat of the emissions from the crater this
earth melts the water to form a lahar, or hot mud flow. This fluid yet dense mass was enough
to topple structures and essentially bury those contained within. Layer after layer of this
condensed sediment accumulated, essentially sealing Herculaneum in a concrete grave A
series of huge expanding waves of shattered rocks, gases, and hot mud rushed downhill,
burying everything in compact layers that totaled eight feet thick (Calderazzo 9). Pompeii
received its fate shortly after but in a much different fashion. The source of their demise was
the pyroclastic flow down the southwest flank of the volcano. Unlike the lahar which is added
by water, this phenomenon is just a torrent of ash and rock cascading at 100 mph and at
several hundred degrees. The same degree of destruction was inflicted on Pompeii with
everything in its path succumbing to the sheer force of earth. The residents trapped in their
dwellings suffered a different fate than those before them, literally being burned alive while
being encased in their ashen tomb.
As I mentioned before, the most reliable source of this event was written by Pliny the
Younger. At a safe distance across the Bay of Naples in the town of Misenum, he recorded the
events with great accuracy. From the earthquakes foretelling the event to the massive eruption
visible from dozens of miles away, every aspect was written so descriptively that it literally
created the modern study of volcanology. Hour by hour accounts explain the rise of the
eruption column described in Plinys words as Being like an umbrella pine, for it rose to a great
height on a sort of trunk and then split off into branches (Boer 90).
The fact that Vesuvius remains active into this modern age implies that we should still
remain in a state of concern. With the last notable eruption occurring in 1944 the life of this
volcano is far from being over. Even with the technology constantly monitoring Vesuvius it is
difficult to anticipate an eruption until the identifiable phenomenon leading up to it. An
additional cause for concern is the now heavily populated area of Naples with over 3 million
residents sitting in the shadow of Mt. Vesuvius. If it came to pass that an eruption of similar
magnitude were to occur without warning it would be an event of catastrophic proportions.
That is why it is so important to interpret these events of times past, for if we know exactly
what to expect we just may be able to overcome this terrible yet awesome display of the
earths power.







Works Cited
1) Scarth, Alwyn. Vesuvius: A Biography. United States: Princeton University Press, 2009.
Print.
2) Sanders, Donald, and Jelle Zeilinga de Boer. Volcanoes in Human History. United
Kingdom: Princeton University Press, 2002. Print.
3) Calderazzo, John. Rising Fire: Volcanoes And Our Inner Lives. United States: The Lyons
Press, 2004. Print.

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