The eruption of AD 79 and its impact on Pompeii and Herculaneum Flashcards
When did the eruption take place?
The eruption took place during lunchtime, as evidenced by food left on the tables.
What is the Pliny eruption known for?
It is known for Pliny the Younger’s detailed letters to Tacitus, providing one of the earliest surviving eyewitness accounts of a volcanic eruption.
What are the two stages of the Pliny eruption?
The two stages are the First Stage and the Second Stage.
What occurred during the first stage of the eruption?
A cloud of ash and pumice erupted 20 km into the air, showering over Pompeii.
What were the effects of the first stage on Pompeii?
The sun was blocked, streets and buildings were coerced with ash at 15 km/h, and roofs collapsed due to weight.
What was the condition of the ash during the first stage?
There were no poisonous gases, and the ash was not hot enough to kill.
What happened in the second stage of the eruption?
Eighteen hours after the first stage, six surges began, with the first surge striking Herculaneum at 300 km/h.
What was the outcome of the second surge?
The second surge failed to hit Pompeii.
What happened to the remaining people in Pompeii during the second stage?
The third and fourth surges killed the remaining people in Pompeii.
What occurred after the eruption stopped?
Later, Herculaneum was hit.
What are pyroclastic flows?
Pyroclastic flows are dense, hot gas and ash moving swiftly down volcanic slopes, causing extreme destruction.
What is a pyroclastic surge?
A pyroclastic surge is a fast, lighter cloud of gas and ash spreading over a wide area, lethal to those nearby.
What was the cause of deaths in Pompeii?
Almost all died from suffocation due to ash mixing with saliva and forming a paste that blocked airways.
How did many people die in Herculaneum?
Many died in contact with lava, with some suffocations.
What evidence was found regarding deaths in Herculaneum?
300 bodies were found in Herculaneum’s boathouses, killed instantly by extreme heat from pyroclastic flows.
What evidence proved direct contact with lava in Herculaneum?
Evidence of cracks in teeth proved direct contact with lava that vaporized them.
