How is Mount Vesuvius different from other volcanoes?

How is Mount Vesuvius different from other volcanoes?

Mount Vesuvius Introduction Vesuvius is the only active volcano in mainland Europe, and has produced some of the continent’s largest volcanic eruptions. Located on Italy’s west coast, it overlooks the Bay and City of Naples and sits in the crater of the ancient Somma volcano.

How does the 1980 eruption of Mt St Helens compare to that of Mt Vesuvius in 79 AD?

The May 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens rated a VEI of 5, but just barely; its lateral blast was powerful, but its output of magma was rather small. For example, the eruption of Vesuvius Volcano in A.D. 79, which destroyed Pompeii and Herculaneum, only rates a VEI of 5.

Was Vesuvius bigger than Krakatoa?

That would be a volcano big enough to wipe out everything in at least a thousand-mile radius, rating an 8 or above on the VEI or Volcanic Explosivity Index; Krakatoa had a VEI of 6, Vesuvius was a 5.

What was it like when Mount Vesuvius erupted?

As more and more ash fell, it clogged the air, making it difficult to breathe. Buildings collapsed. By the time the Vesuvius eruption sputtered to an end the next day, Pompeii was buried under millions of tons of volcanic ash. About 2,000 Pompeiians were dead, but the eruption killed as many as 16,000 people overall.

Is Mount Vesuvius on the Ring of Fire?

Although most of the world’s volcanoes reside on the Ring of Fire, the most dangerous is in Europe. According to experts, Italy’s Mount Vesuvius is the most dangerous volcano in the world, which is not entirely surprising due to its history.

What is the difference in the power of a volcanic eruption if one volcano has a VEI of 5 and another has a VEI of 8?

VEI 3 eruptions produce between 0.01 and 0.1 cubic kilometers of ejecta. The progression of the scale from VEI 0 to VEI 8 is shown in the diagram on this page. With each step in the scale representing an explosivity increase of 10X, a VEI 5 is roughly ten times more explosive than a VEI 4.

What is unique about Mount Vesuvius?

Mount Vesuvius, on the west coast of Italy, is the only active volcano on mainland Europe. It is best known because of the eruption in A.D. 79 that destroyed the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum, but Vesuvius has erupted more than 50 times.

What is special about Mount Vesuvius?

Mount Vesuvius forms an iconic backdrop to the Bay of Naples, Italy, and is one of Europe’s most active volcanoes. It is best known for an eruption in AD 79 that buried the Roman settlements of Pompeii and Herculaneum under metres of ash.

How is Mount St Helens different from other volcanoes?

This is in contrast to the volcanoes found in Hawaii which have slow flowing lava eruptions and few if any massive explosions. Mount St. Helens is formed by a subduction zone where the Juan de Fuca Plate plunges beneath the North American Plate causing the uplifting of the Cascade Mountains.

What was the last eruption of Mount St Helens?

Mount St. Helens is formed by a subduction zone where the Juan de Fuca Plate plunges beneath the North American Plate causing the uplifting of the Cascade Mountains. The last eruption took place on May 18, 1980 and had such a force that was compared to 500 Hiroshima atomic bombs going off at once2.

What’s the difference between Kilauea and Mt St Helen?

For starters Mt. St. Helen is located in the “ring of fire” whereas Kilauea is on a hot spot in the Pacific Ocean. Mt. St. Helens is more explosive when it goes off after years of building pressure, where Kilauea has few explosions, but a continuous flow of lava.