Italy Volcanic Activity

Almost 2,000 years ago one of the most iconic volcano eruptions occurred in Italy and not only has the world not forgotten, but it's one of the most studied volcanic places on earth.  Scientists from around the world study what’s considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world (due to its proximity with the human population).  Mount Vesuvius, the only active volcano on mainland Europe, is not only responsible for destroying the once vibrant city of Pompeii, but also preserving it.  After the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79AD, what is known as a “pyroclastic flow” engulfed the city.  This simply put, is a mixture of deadly gas and ash which contributed to the 2,000 casualties.  The city stayed preserved by being completely covered in approximately 20 feet of ash.  

At the moment, Italy is home to three active volcanoes.  All 3 volcanoes are stratovolcanoes.  The most active volcano in Europe is on Mount Etna. The last eruption occurred only a couple of months ago.

It seems for the most part the volcano eruptions can be detected weeks prior to the actual event thus giving time for the government to take action.  This however cannot be guaranteed, so the Italian Government uses various methods to monitor active volcanoes such as constant visual monitoring, and scientifically monitoring seismic activity, pressure, ground displacement, etc. This isn't an official means of detection, but I've found several articles suggesting the locals situated close to volcanoes use livestock as a means to detect precursors to volcanic activity.






https://rischi.protezionecivile.gov.it/en/volcanic/activities/


https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/149298/a-view-of-vesuvius#:~:text=It%20is%20part%20of%20the,to%20form%20the%20volcanic%20cone.


http://pompeiisites.org/en/pompeii-map/analysis/the-casts/


Volcano Hazard Map - https://thinkhazard.org/en/report/122-italy/VA

Volcano Locations - https://geology.com/volcanoes/stromboli/

Comments

  1. Will VSeptember 19, 2023 at 4:48 AM

    Hey Justin, I think it is very interesting that Italy is home to 3 volcanos and also the most active one in Europe in Mount Etna which erupted only a couple of months ago. The Italian government seems to do a good job at taking action during these volcanic eruptions and help keep people safe.

    ReplyDelete
  2. NikkiSeptember 19, 2023 at 2:04 PM

    Hi Justin, I never been to Italy though I would love to go. I have many distant relatives as my GPA was full Italian with many brother and sisters. It interesting to know that there is an active volcano there that was active a couple of months ago. The Netherlands is close to some volcanoes that are very quiet and on the Dutch boarder. It seems like the Netherlands themselves is pretty quiet with both volcanoes and earth quakes. Thank you for sharing, Nikki

    ReplyDelete
  3. Fatima NaimSeptember 19, 2023 at 2:11 PM

    Hi Justin, I have always wanted to visit Italy, so it is very cool to learn about the volcanic activity there. I had no idea that there was a volcano that erupted recently in Mount Etna, nor did I know that there are 3 volcanoes in Italy. Very informative post!

    ReplyDelete
  4. nick diazSeptember 24, 2023 at 5:47 PM

    Hey Justin,
    You have the perfect country for this assignment. Mount Vesuvius is arguably the most famous volcano ever. I've always been fascinated with the eruption of 79 AD and the destruction of Pompeii. I read somewhere that the thermal energy released during the eruption was equivalent to 100,000 nuclear bombs (Hiroshima bomb specifically). Crazy when you put it into perspective like that.

    ReplyDelete

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