Volcanoes: they have been around since the tectonic plates first started clashing. Volcanoes have been credited with the creation of several island chains, such as the island chain of Hawaii. However, just as volcanoes can create land with their eruptions, they can also wreak massive amounts of destruction on it, as well. One of the most infamous displays of a volcano's destructive power is the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. This eruption, which rated a 5 on the VEI (Volcanic Explosivity Index), and destroyed the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum.
Before this particular event in the history of Mount Vesuvius is explored in detail, though, a brief description of the volcano itself must be given. Mount Vesuvius is what is known as a stratovolcano, which is a volcano that has been formed out of multiple layers of lava and ash. It is also located in a subduction zone, which is a point where two tectonic plates meet, and one plate sinks under the other. This process tends to give way to earthquakes, and the…show more content… Geological Survey Publications Warehouse, 15 Apr. 2018. pubs.usgs.gov/gip/msh/comparisons.html.
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“Vesuvius | Volcano World | Oregon State University," Volcano World | Your World is Erupting | Oregon State University, Oregon State University | Oregon State University, Oregon State University, 15 Apr. 2018 volcano.oregonstate.edu/Vesuvius.
Wallace-Hadrill, Andrew. “History - Pompeii: Portents of Disaster.” BBC, BBC, 29 Mar. 2011,
