🌋 Planet Earth 🌋 Volcanoes and earthquakes

Vesuvius

📖 In short

Vesuvius is a very famous volcano in southern Italy, overlooking the Bay of Naples near the city of Naples. It's the only active volcano on the European mainland, and one of the most studied volcanoes in the world.

🤩 Did you know?

Vesuvius is about 11 kilometers from Naples.
Vesuvius was 1303 meters high in 1900, then got lower after several eruptions.
The 1906 eruption of Vesuvius destroyed many towns.
The soil on Vesuvius's slopes is very fertile, and people grow grapes and tomatoes there.

🔎 Find out more

🌟 The story of Pompeii

About two thousand years ago Vesuvius erupted massively, and volcanic ash covered the Roman towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum, burying them completely.

🔍 A town preserved

Hundreds of years later scientists dug into the ash and found Pompeii just as it was: its streets, houses, wall paintings and even bread in the ovens! From it we learned how the Romans lived.

💡 Still active

Vesuvius has erupted many times since, and its last big eruption was in 1944. Scientists watch it day and night with precise instruments to warn people before any eruption.