The Vesuvius Observatory (Italian : Osservatorio Vesuviano) is the surveillance centre for monitoring the three volcanic areas of Campania, Italy: Mount Vesuvius, the Phlegrean Fields and Ischia. Founded in 1841 on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius by Ferdinand II of Bourbon, King of the Two Sicilies, it is the oldest volcanology institute in the world. Its current operative center is based in Naples, hosting an important section of the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology.
40°49′11″N14°10′57″E / 40.81972°N 14.18250°E
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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.
Volcanology is the study of volcanoes, lava, magma and related geological, geophysical and geochemical phenomena (volcanism). The term volcanology is derived from the Latin word vulcan. Vulcan was the ancient Roman god of fire.
A volcanologist, or volcano scientist, is a geologist who focuses on understanding the formation and eruptive activity of volcanoes. Volcanologists frequently visit volcanoes, sometimes active ones, to observe and monitor volcanic eruptions, collect eruptive products including tephra, rock and lava samples. One major focus of inquiry in recent times is the prediction of eruptions to alleviate the impact on surrounding populations and monitor natural hazards associated with volcanic activity. Geologists who research volcanic materials that make up the solid Earth are referred to as igneous petrologists.
A volcano observatory is an institution that conducts research and monitoring of a volcano.
The volcanism of Italy is due chiefly to the presence, a short distance to the south, of the boundary between the Eurasian Plate and the African Plate. Italy is a volcanically active country, containing the only active volcanoes in mainland Europe. The lava erupted by Italy's volcanoes is thought to result from the subduction and melting of one plate below another.
The Gulf of Naples, also called the Bay of Naples, is a roughly 15-kilometer-wide (9.3 mi) gulf located along the south-western coast of Italy. It opens to the west into the Mediterranean Sea. It is bordered on the north by the cities of Naples and Pozzuoli, on the east by Mount Vesuvius, and on the south by the Sorrento Peninsula and the main town of the peninsula, Sorrento. The Peninsula separates the Gulf of Naples from the Gulf of Salerno, which includes the Amalfi Coast.
Plinian eruptions or Vesuvian eruptions are volcanic eruptions marked by their similarity to the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, which destroyed the ancient Roman cities of Herculaneum and Pompeii. The eruption was described in a letter written by Pliny the Younger, after the death of his uncle Pliny the Elder.
Mount Makiling is an inactive stratovolcano located in the provinces of Laguna and Batangas on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. The mountain rises to an elevation of 1,090 m (3,580 ft) above mean sea level and is the highest feature of the Laguna Volcanic Field. The volcano has no recorded historic eruption but volcanism is still evident through geothermal features like mud spring and hot springs. South of the mountain is the Makiling-Banahaw Geothermal Plant. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) classifies the volcano as "Inactive".
Pollena Trocchia is a comune (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Naples in the Italian region Campania, located about 11 km east of Naples.
The House of the Faun, constructed in the 2nd century BC during the Samnite period, was a grand Hellenistic palace that was framed by peristyle in Pompeii, Italy. The historical significance in this impressive estate is found in the many great pieces of art that were well preserved from the ash of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. It is one of the most luxurious aristocratic houses from the Roman Republic, and reflects this period better than most archaeological evidence found even in Rome itself.
The Avellino eruption of Mount Vesuvius refers to a Vesuvian eruption in c. 1995 BC. It is estimated to have had a VEI of 6, making it larger and more catastrophic than Vesuvius's more famous and well-documented 79 AD eruption. It is the source of the Avellino pumice deposits extensively found in the comune of Avellino in Campania.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology is a Philippine national institution dedicated to provide information on the activities of volcanoes, earthquakes, and tsunamis, as well as other specialized information and services primarily for the protection of life and property and in support of economic, productivity, and sustainable development. It is one of the service agencies of the Department of Science and Technology.
The Laguna Volcanic Field, also known as the San Pablo Volcanic Field, is an active volcanic field in the Philippines, located between Laguna de Bay, Mount Banahaw volcano complex and Mount Malepunyo range. It is part of the larger Southwestern Luzon Volcanic Field (SWLVF). From Manila, it is about 50 kilometres (31 mi) southeast to Mount Makiling, its most prominent volcanic feature.
On 5 February AD 62, an earthquake of an estimated magnitude of between 5 and 6 and a maximum intensity of IX or X on the Mercalli scale struck the towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum, severely damaging them. The earthquake may have been a precursor to the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79, which destroyed the same two towns. The contemporary philosopher and dramatist Seneca the Younger wrote an account of the earthquake in the sixth book of his Naturales quaestiones, entitled De Terrae Motu.
Frank Alvord Perret was an American entrepreneur, inventor, and volcanologist, who was particularly well known for his studies of eruptions of Vesuvius, Kilauea and Mount Pelée.
The Mercato eruption of Mount Vesuvius was a Plinian eruption that occurred around 8,010 ± 40 14C yr BP . The Global Volcanism Program claims that the eruption had a Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) of 5, while Zanella et al. (2014) estimate it had a VEI of 6. The eruption was preceded by 7000 years of rest and followed by about 4000 years of rest.
Alessandro Malladra was an Italian volcanologist. He was professor of natural sciences at the College Mellerio Rosmini-Domodossola. He got involved in the construction of the Simplon Tunnel. He succeeded Giuseppe Mercalli at the Vesuvius Observatory, first as curator and afterwards as director (1927–1935). He was also general secretary of the Volcanology Section of the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (1919–1936) and, at the same time, its president for one period (1930–1933). The mineral malladrite was named in his honour.
Francesco Signore was an important Italian volcanologist. He began his scientific career as assistant at the "Istituto di Fisica Terrestre", Naples. He served his country during World War I. He was nominated assistant at the Vesuvius Observatory (1928). He taught volcanology at the faculty of science, University of Naples (1934–1956). He was secretary general of the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior (IAVECI) from 1936 until his death.
Phonotephrite or phono-tephrite is a strongly alkaline volcanic rock with a composition between phonolite and tephrite. This unusual igneous rock contains 7 to 12% alkali content and 45 to 53% silica content. It can be described as a mafic phonolite or a potassic tephrite. Phonotephrite lava flows and volcanic cones have been identified in Antarctica, Europe, North America and Africa.
The Vesuvius red zone is the area designated to be quickly evacuated within a few days in the case of an eruption of Mount Vesuvius. The authorities believe that they will have two weeks' warning of an imminent eruption; the questions that arise are whether the population can be evacuated in time, despite a reluctance to leave their homes; and if there be as much as two weeks' warning in reality.
