The tyrant that sleeps in Pompeii… Mount Vesuvius

In the year of 79 A.D a very powerful eruption has erased the very history of Pompeii and Herculaneum in our history. The volcano that that erased the whole history of Pompeii and Herculaneum named Mount Vesuvius.

They say that Diodorus Siculus has related this incident to Hercules, when his labourers has crossed that path of Cumae on their way to Sicily and finally found a

Mount Vesuvius from Pompeii

place called “The Phlegraean Plains” in other words “The plain of fire”. It’s a hill on ancient times that vomited out fire, soon enough called Vesuvius. Located at Bay of Naples, Italy, about 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) east of Naples and a short distance from the shore.

The power of the said eruption has caused at lease One(1) million casualties of it’s surrounding inhabitants. Today there are approximately two(2) million people who are still living in the area of Mount Vesuvius despite the danger in  bring still people in the area says that their life and livelihood is in here; rich soil, agriculture and some ancient blessings that they believe that guiding them. Townspeople said that the volcano has erupted more than fifty(50) times since it’s last eruption (79 A.D) that caused Pompeii and it’s neighboring city “Herculaneum” to be completely erased and destroyed, they say that the volcano are said to erupt every 100 years up to 1037 A.D.. In 1631, the volcano killed another 4,000 unaware inhabitants and this still continues today every time that the volcano will erupt. Unfortunately there are no plans for the re-construction of the said city. As time goes by a group of scientist and engineers has decided to investigate Mount Vesuvius during their 18th century investigation, a miraculously discovery has shocked and has gotten their attention when they have discovered ruins that may open the forgotten mystery and the faith that comes in the city Pompeii. Now scientist are intrigue and much willing to see on what is buried and what is left in the said city. For almost 1600 years of being forgotten in the history, now it’s on our palms reach on what lies in the city of both Pompeii and Herculaneum.

“Before and after it’s eruption..”

During it’s eruption, people who fled unburnt with their possessions had a high chance of survival and fleeing for escape, others who are worried about their valuables are left behind and reached rain fall of ashes and molten rocks. The volcano’s eruption lasted for more than 24 hours in the morning of August 24th. Those who fled with only their selves and family have taken shelter and seen what has overcome their city from afar. Pyroclastic surges and flows (magma) occured, caused by continous collapse of the eruptive column and covered with ashes, this caused the certain death of some people in the said region. It’s a mystery and a big question why on that faithful night the wind is blowing un-naturally. Usually the wind in the region blew in a south western direction, this would naturally blow the molten materials ang gases away from the people to the Naples Bay. But the wind mysteriously blowing at a northwesterly manner, this direction goes directly Pompeii and Herculaneum. The volcano continous it’s rage up to two(2) whole days throwing lapilli and poisonous fumes that contributes to the suffering and death of more peope in the said region.

A pyroclastic flow (also known scientifically as a pyroclastic density current) is a fast-moving current of superheated gas (which can reach temperatures of about 1,000 °C (1,830 °F)) and rock (collectively known as tephra), which reaches speeds moving away from a volcano of up to 700 km/h (450 mph). The flows normally hug the ground and travel downhill, or spread laterally under gravity. Their speed depends upon the density of the current, the volcanic output rate, and the gradient of the slope. They are a common and devastating result of certain explosive volcanic eruptions.

After it’s eruption it is still impossible to tell how many casualties has suffered the wrath of Vesuvius.  Romans has estimated a tens of thousands and considered this catastrophe as exceptional force of nature. Soon after it’s lost in history, an 18th century excavation has been pushed through, corpses found in the said region were taken as a small sample amounting in what mystery still holds the undiscovered city of both Pompeii and Herculaneum. Due to it’s destructive power even the Sorrentine peninsula, southern part and as far north as Misenum of Vesusvius was severely damaged and affected by volcanic materials release by the said volcano. Many livelihood, agriculture, landscape, including nature has been damaged, more unfortunately lives that has been lost. This caused trauma to the people mostly of those who survived the wrath of Vesuvius. But the mystery is it is normal that even after a destructive earthquake people used to rebuild their city, but in the part of Pompeii and Herculaneum people in that time can’t even enter the said region. People never rebuilt and occupied again.

“The power of nature, an unexpected disaster”

According to the townspeople the longer a volcano sits still the more destructive the eruption. They say that when earthquakes, ground deforming and/or rising, springs drying, these are signs that the volcano is now awake and this will be the signal of the people to closely monitor the actions of the volcano, either leave or prepare for it’s wrath. Unfortunately some people don’t believe that this signs are part of the awakening of the said volcano still they disregard this and continue their usual lives. Some say “it’s better to be prepared than to suffer after all there are nothing to lose.”

The famous eruption, 79 A.D. eruption still holds many mysteries and unanswered questions, like for example it is considered as a “Plinian eruption”, without much lava and other characteristics of a volcano when it erupted, Vesuvius differs from them all. The most dangerous type of all that includes super-heated gas, magma flowing at almost 720 km/h, has the temperature of 800+ degree in Celsius and unending ashes form a giant column that has seen clearly in the skies of the whole region. Scientist said that this is exactly the most dangerous volcanic phenomenon that happen.

The grasses of Pompeii

One of the most valuable survivor of the 79 A.D. eruption said that, the terrifying eruption conquered the sky turned everything into red like fires in hell, and describe the volcano from afar like a burning tree. This is because of the quick release of volcanic materials unlike any other eruptions Vesuvius is something to recon with. This stretches miles within the atmosphere quickly spreading throughout the region.As magma cools and ashes falls to the earth they have made a pumice. These rocks are made of cold dense torn from inside of a volcano, that has risen to the atmosphere and falling back from the sky they look like deadly meteorites with an amazing speed reaching 150 km/h. At the final moment of it’s eruption a staggering 100,000 (tons) of ash, super-heated gas and magma was release every second, soaring up with a speed of a jet with the height of almost 33 kilometres.

Nowadays the surrounding of Vesuvius was maintained and was made an an national park on the 5th of June 1995. The crater of the volcano is open to all tourist to see closely a rare experience and to feel on what remains in the area. The mountain is 1,277 meters and a base of 48 kilometres. the site also offers volcanic ashes for the visitors to see and many more.