Vesuvius: Preparing for an eruption ?

[Hum]

Vesuvius, the Italian volcano that famously erupted in AD 79 and destroyed Pompeii, may awaken sometime in the future with even more catastrophic results, according to some experts who consider the volcano the most dangerous in the world.

The prospect, which could spell disaster for nearby Naples, a metropolis of 3 million people, is stirring up a vigorous debate among scientists and civil authorities on how to prepare, journalist Katherine Barnes reports for Nature News.

Part of the debate centers on the risk and scale of future eruptions. Some studies suggest the volcano is capable of massive eruptions, such as one some 3,800 years ago that triggered pyroclastic flows that buried Naples under 12 feet of ash and debris.

Other scientists argue that the eruptive nature of Vesuvius has changed over time and that smaller eruptions akin to one in 1631 are more the norm. That one killed 6,000 people but affected a much smaller area.

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It's a question of time...

Vesuvius, the Italian volcano that famously erupted in AD 79 and destroyed Pompeii

...

Some studies suggest the volcano is capable of massive eruptions, such as one some 3,800 years ago that triggered pyroclastic flows that buried Naples under 12 feet of ash and debris.

Some bad math there...haha

[Vykranth]

It's a question of time...

Do not be so pessimistic, the "good" thing about natural geologic risks is that the risks are ALWAYS there and there is nothing we, humans, can do to prevent it. An active volcano is going to erupt, earthquakes are going to happen.

The only thing we can do is adapt and manage the consequences.

After that, Vesuvius IS an active volcano. So, it may erupt.

Some bad math there...haha

The article is badly constructed but it is correct: they refer to an other and much larger eruption prior to the one in AD 79 which destroyed Pompei and Herculaneum.

Here is a link to the article about that other eruption