Our world has not been fully discovered but, that is because of a geological or atmospheric hindrance. Can you imagine that a mountain that is over 1000 meters tall(1281m) was unnoticed until it erupted? Well, that is the story of Mt. Vesuvius. It was unnamed and unnoticed until it erupted as if it wanted to draw people’s attention to its existence.
Mt. Vesuvius in Italy is a volcanic mountain. It is made of two different mountains; the Caldera or the crater is on top of Mt. Vesuvius whereas, Mt. Vesuvius is attached to Monte Somma.
The volcanic mountain was named in 79 AD and when it did, it supposedly blasted pumice stones into the air. This lasted for 5 whole hours, collapsing buildings. But, this raining stones was not the end of it. After 17 hours, the pyroclastic (fast-flowing solidified lava and hot gases) flow engulfed the city of Pompeii and Herculaneum.
This eruption caught everyone by surprise as the people of Pompeii were unaware of this sleeping beast. It had been 1800 years that the volcano was dormant. After the big eruption, it erupted 6 times in the 18th century, 8 times in the 19th century, and 3 times in the 20th century.
The debris and artifacts of Pompeii city were untouched until the 18th century. Today, they have been recognized by the World Monument Funds for their preservation.
It has been estimated that $335 million will be required for its preservation.
The last time it erupted was in 1944 AD, making sure it was not forgotten again. Now, scientists believe that an eruption is overdue and the 154 sq miles of magma will cause a ferocious explosion.
But, for now, it is a famous tourist attraction with high-grade fruits and vegetables. The red grape Aglianico, and white grapes Fiano and Greco Do Tufo have been known to make excellent wine. The land there does not require irrigation as the spongey soil slowly releases water to the vegetation.
If there were an eruption again, this eruption would affect more than 2 million people and the entire city of Naples. However, visitors still visit this amazing site because the scientists are monitoring the volcano 24/7, just in case they need to raise an alarm to evacuate the place.
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FAQs
1. What is so special about Mt. Vesuvius?
Mt. Vesuvius was not known until the 79 AD when it finally erupted.
2. What are some sad facts about Mt. Vesuvius?
During the eruption of 79 AD, the eruption engulfed the city of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Almost 2000 citizens died and the children were also affected.
3. Why is it called Mt. Vesuvius?
Mt. Vesuvius could have been named after the ‘fesf’ which means smoke.
4. What is Mt. Vesuvius’s nickname?
Mt. Vesuvius is also known as the sleeping giant.
5. How old is Mt. Vesuvius?
Mt. Vesuvius is about 2,000,000 years old.