79 AD eruption
Gallery
Bibliography
Eruptions of Mt Vesuvius Volcano 1913-44, 1875-1906, 1874, 1870-72, 1864-68, 1855-61, 1854-55, 1841-50, 1835-39, 1824-34, 1796-1822, 1783-94, 1770-79, 1764-67, 1744-61, 1732-37, 1724-30, 1712-23, 1708, 1706-07, 1701-04, 1697-98, 1696, 1685-94, 1682, 1654-80, 1637-52, 1631-32, 1500, 1347?, 1270?, 1150?, 1139, 1073, 1049?, 1037, 1007, 999?, 991?, 968, 787, 685, 536, 512, 505, 472, 379-95, ?222-35, 203, 172, 79 AD, 1500 BC.
On March 13th, 1944, the conelet partially collapsed leaving a depression in the ground of about 60 feet depth. On the 18th, the first lava flows shot out of the conelet and overcame the crater wall on the North side and reached the Somma Caldera Wall. On the evening of the 19th, the lava flows reached the first houses in Massa and St. Sebastiano.
The last lava fountain culminates with the formation of a sustained ash plume which reaches about 5 km above the crater rim. This phase and the following one are accompanied by the formation of pyroclastic flows on the flank of the volcano.
The Explosions become less common and less violent on the 27th and 28th, and on the 29th, the eruption ends.
