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Italy · Stratovolcano

Mount Vesuvius

Vesuvius

Type
Stratovolcano
Elevation
1281m
Last eruption
1944
Mount Vesuvius
Photo: pietro scerrato · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Type
Stratovolcano
Country
Italy
Region
Europe / Italian Peninsula Volcanic Provinces
Elevation
1281m
Coordinates
40.821, 14.426
Last eruption
1944
Tectonic setting
Subduction zone / Continental crust (> 25 km)
Landform
Composite
Major rock type
Phono-tephrite / Tephri-phonolite

Geological summary

One of the world's most noted volcanoes, Vesuvius (Vesuvio) forms a dramatic backdrop to the Bay of Naples.

Excerpt from the Global Volcanism Program, Smithsonian Institution · Read the full summary on GVP →

From Wikipedia

Mount Vesuvius is a somma–stratovolcano located on the Gulf of Naples in Campania, Italy, about 9 km (5.6 mi) east of Naples and a short distance from the shore. It is one of several volcanoes forming the Campanian volcanic arc. Vesuvius consists of a large cone partially encircled by the steep rim of a summit caldera, resulting from the collapse of an earlier, much higher structure.

Wikipedia · CC BY-SA · Read full article →

Eruption history

61 recordedGlossary

Record summary

Confirmed eruptions
54
Uncertain eruptions
7
Span of confirmed record
6940 BCE (±100 yrs) – 1944
Largest confirmed eruption
VEI 5 (1631, the most recent of 5)
Confirmed eruptions since 1900
1
Summary (VEI over time)
Click a bar to see individual eruptions · Use arrow keys to move between bars, Enter to open
6940 BCE~6645 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI 52513 BCE~2218 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI 51628 BCE~1333 BCE · 2 eruptions · max VEI 41038 BCE~743 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI 4743 BCE~448 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI 3448 BCE~153 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI 3153 BCE~142 · 1 eruptions · max VEI 5142~438 · 5 eruptions · max VEI 4438~733 · 5 eruptions · max VEI 5733~1028 · 7 eruptions · max VEI 41028~1323 · 6 eruptions · max VEI 31323~1618 · 3 eruptions · max VEI 21618~1913 · 27 eruptions · max VEI 56940 BCE4874 BCE2513 BCE448 BCE1618

Detailed timeline

  1. 1913VEI 3Observed
    1913-07-05 – 1944-04-04
    Summit and upper flanks
  2. 1875VEI 4Observed
    1875-12-18 – 1906-04-22
    Summit and upper flanks
  3. 1874VEI 1Method not stated
    1874-01-16 – end unknown
  4. 1870VEI 3Observed
    1870-12-16 – 1872-04-30
    Summit and upper NW and south flanks
  5. 1864VEI 2Observed
    1864-02-10 – 1868-11-26
    Summit and upper SE flank
  6. 1855VEI 3Observed
    1855-12-19 – 1861-12-31
    Summit and SW flank (300-225 m)
  7. 1854VEI 3Observed
    1854-12-14 – 1855-05-27
    Summit and upper N flank
  8. 1841VEI 2Observed
    1841-09-20 – 1850-02-16
    Summit, upper N and E flanks
  9. 1835VEI 3Observed
    1835-01-16 – 1839-01-03
    Summit, upper east and west flanks
  10. 1824VEI 3Observed
    1824-07-02 – 1834-09-02
    Summit, upper E and S flanks
  11. 1796VEI 3Observed
    1796-01 – 1822-11-16
    Summit and upper flanks
  12. 1783VEI 3Observed
    1783-08-18 – 1794-07-05
    Summit and SW flank (550-300 m)
  13. 1770VEI 3Observed
    1770-02-15 – 1779-10-04
    Summit, N, NE, SE and E flanks
  14. 1764VEI 3Observed
    1764 – 1767-10-27
    Summit, upper SW, SE, and NNW flanks
  15. 1744VEI 3Observed
    1744-11 – 1761-01-06
    Summit, upper SE, E and lower S flanks
  16. 1742VEI 1Observed
    1742 – 1743
  17. 1732VEI 3Observed
    1732-12-25 – 1737-06-04
    Summit and SW flank
  18. 1724VEI 3Observed
    1724-09-04 – 1730-04-01
  19. 1708VEI 3Observed
    1708-08-14 – 1723-07-08
    Summit, upper east and south flanks
  20. 1701VEI 3Observed
    1701-07-01 – 1707-08-22
    Summit and SW flank
  21. 1697VEI 3Observed
    1697-09-15 – 1698-07
  22. 1696VEI 2Observed
    1696-07-31 – 1696-08-14
  23. 1685VEI 3Observed
    1685-10-03 – 1694-04-29
  24. 1682VEI 3Observed
    1682-08-12 – 1682-08-22
  25. 1654VEI 3Observed
    1654-02-25 – 1680-03-28
  26. 1637VEI 2Observed
    1637-07-01 – 1652-12
  27. 1631VEI 5Observed
    1631-12-16 – 1632-01-31
    Summit, SW and S flanks
  28. 1570VEI 1Observed
    1570 – 1572
  29. 1500VEI 2Observed
    1500 – end unknown
  30. 1347VEI 2Method not stated
    1347 – end unknown
  31. 1270VEI 2Method not stated
    1270 – end unknown
  32. 1150VEI 3Observed
    1150 – end unknown
  33. 1139VEI 3Observed
    1139-06-01 – 1139-06-09
  34. 1073 (±5 yrs)VEI 3Method not stated
    1073 – end unknown
  35. 1049VEI 1Method not stated
    1049 – end unknown
  36. 1037VEI 3Observed
    1037-01-27 – end unknown
    Summit and south flank (I Monticelli?)
  37. 1006VEI 3Observed
    1006-12-31 – end unknown
  38. 999VEI 3Observed
    999 – end unknown
    Summit and south flank (Fossamonaca)
  39. 991VEI 3Observed
    991 – end unknown
  40. 968VEI 4Observed
    968-12-01 – end unknown
  41. 900 (±40 yrs)VEI 0Geological estimate
    900 – end unknown
    South and west (Tironi) flanks
  42. 860 (±50 yrs)VEI 0Geological estimate
    860 – end unknown
    South flank
  43. 787VEI 3Observed
    787-10-15 – 788-01-15
    Summit and south flank
  44. 685VEI 4Observed
    685-02 – 685-03
  45. 536VEI ?Observed
    536 – end unknown
  46. 512VEI 4Observed
    512-07-08 – end unknown
  47. 505VEI 2Method not stated
    505-11-09 – end unknown
  48. 472VEI 5Observed
    472-11-05 – 472-11-06
  49. 379VEI 2Observed
    379 – 395
  50. 303VEI 2Method not stated
    303 – end unknown
  51. 222VEI 2Observed
    222 – 235
  52. 203VEI 4Observed
    203 – end unknown
  53. 172VEI 3Observed
    172 – end unknown
  54. 79VEI 5Observed
    79-10-24 – 79-10-28
  55. 217 BCEVEI 3Observed
    217 BCE – 216 BCE
  56. 600 BCEVEI 3Geological estimate
    600 BCE – end unknown
  57. 880 BCE (±50 yrs)VEI 4Geological estimate
    880 BCE – end unknown
  58. 1430 BCE (±300 yrs)VEI 4Geological estimate
    1430 BCE – end unknown
  59. 1550 BCE (±75 yrs)VEI 4Geological estimate
    1550 BCE – end unknown
  60. 2420 BCE (±40 yrs)VEI 5Geological estimate
    2420 BCE – end unknown
  61. 6940 BCE (±100 yrs)VEI 5Geological estimate
    6940 BCE – end unknown

Nearby volcanoes

External links

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