The eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD was one of the most devastating natural disasters of all time, virtually destroying the city of Pompeii. The video by History Channel (2021) thoroughly explains the causes of the tragedy and speculates on what might happen in the future. The eruption in 79 AD resulted in nearly 16,000 deaths, destroying the whole city by the initial impact and consequent hot ash (History, 2021). However, today, more than a million people live in Naples, located only six miles away from the volcano. The danger of the potential eruption in the 21st century is a relevant problem that could result in an unprecedented number of deaths.
The experts compare Vesuvius to Mount St. Helens in America. The volcano in Washington suddenly erupted in 1980 after an extensive period of inactivity (History, 2021). Therefore, scientists assume that the same phenomenon might occur in Italy with Vesuvius suddenly erupting and destroying Naples. After the latest small-scale eruption of Vesuvius in 1944, experts started closely inspecting the geologic history of the volcano (History, 2021). At present, most experts agree that a similar disaster to the tragedy of 79 AD would happen in the future (History, 2021). While it is impossible to predict the date accurately, Plinian eruptions occur every few thousand years, and it has been more than 2,000 years since the tragedy (History, 2021). The unique characteristic of Plinian eruptions is the ejection of both lava and hot ash, which results in an immense catastrophe (History, 2021). Ultimately, the eruption of Mount Vesuvius was one of the deadliest tragedies in history, and experts predict that a similar disaster would occur within the next thousand years.
Reference
History. (2021). Mega disasters: Mount Vesuvius erupts (S2, E13) | Full episode. [Video file]. Web.