Vesuvius

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Mount Vesuvius and Pompeii

Discover the ancient Roman city of Pompeii, buried in volcanic ash when Mount Vesuvius erupted

Area of Italy affected by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 ce

How volcanoes work, explained by a volcanologist

Watch buildings crumble during the volcanic eruption of Italy's Mount Vesuvius in 1944

excavations near Mount Vesuvius

For Students

Vesuvius summary

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Vesuvius: Related Content

Written and fact-checked by The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

News •

Vesuvius Turned One Victim’s Brain to Glass • Mar. 2, 2025, 3:20 AM ET (New York Times)

Mount Vesuvius eruption turned a man's brain into glass. Here's how it happened • Feb. 28, 2025, 4:20 AM ET (Reuters)

Vesuvius Volcano Ash Cloud Cooked Roman Man's Brain Into Glass Fossil • Feb. 27, 2025, 9:00 AM ET (Newsweek)

Elon Musk pledges support to help decode ancient Herculaneum scrolls • Feb. 11, 2025, 10:27 PM ET (Jerusalem Post)

AI and scientists unite to decipher old scrolls charred by the Vesuvius volcano • Feb. 6, 2025, 12:34 AM ET (AP)

Photos and Videos

Mount Vesuvius and Pompeii

Area of Italy affected by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 ce

excavations near Mount Vesuvius

Discover the ancient Roman city of Pompeii, buried in volcanic ash when Mount Vesuvius erupted

How volcanoes work, explained by a volcanologist

Watch buildings crumble during the volcanic eruption of Italy's Mount Vesuvius in 1944

See All Videos and Images →

Topics

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Demystified

Arenal Volcano in northwestern Costa Rica in the province of Alajuela.

Are Volcanoes Dangerous When They’re Not Erupting?