Earthquakes may have worsened the devastation of Pompeii

Mount Vesuvius still looms over the ancient Roman city of Pompeii in the Campania region of southern Italy, where thousands died during two violent days in 79 AD.

Researchers have long acknowledged that residents died when flows of pumice, superheated gases and debris swept through the city. A new study published in the journal Frontiers in Earth Science suggests that powerful earthquakes added an extra dimension to the event.

“Our study provides the first clear evidence of earthquake damage during an eruption,” said volcanologist Domenico Sparris of the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology in Naples, Italy.

Excavations on Pompeii’s Isle of Chaste Lovers have uncovered the shattered skeletons of two men beneath collapsing walls. New research suggests the men died before the most deadly phase of the eruption, and suggests that earthquakes played a pivotal role in the disaster.

complex disaster

Based on first-hand accounts provided by Pliny the Younger and other studies, the multidisciplinary team was able to put together an accurate timeline of events.

“The real power of the research comes from the careful collaboration between archaeologists and volcanologists.”

“The real strength of the research comes from the rigorous collaboration between archaeologists and volcanologists,” said Raffaello Cione, a volcanologist at the University of Florence in Italy who was not involved in the study.

During excavations at the Island of Chaste Lovers, archaeologists discovered two skeletons and multiple collapsed walls buried among distinct layers of volcanic rock, the product of separate phases of the eruption.

The first phase, called Plinian, began around 1 p.m. when a massive column of volcanic eruption from Mount Vesuvius rained pumice on nearby towns. The placement of the skeletons on a thick layer of pumice suggests that these individuals survived the chaos of the first day by seeking shelter inside their homes.

During the second phase, the collapse of the eruption column buried Pompeii under fast-moving, scalding streams called pyroclastic flows. But unlike victims who died in the flows from suffocation, dehydration or heat, the men on the Isle of Chaste Lovers appear to have suffered crushing injuries to their ribs, pelvis and skull. Researchers found one man squatting and shielding his head, apparently aware of the impending danger.

The new research primarily concerns the morning hours between major phases, when Pompeii and its surrounding cities were struck by strong earthquakes “chronologically consistent with the onset of the caldera-forming phase of the eruption and accompanied by strong seismic shocks,” the authors write. Although earthquakes were common in Campania, these quakes were strong enough to be noted by Pliny in his letters to Tacitus.

“This research highlights the ongoing risks faced by communities living near Vesuvius today.”

On the island of chaste lovers, the orientation of the collapsed walls of the room allowed researchers to trace the exact path of the destruction and determine whether it happened during that morning’s earthquake. “The building collapsed before the volcanic currents arrived,” Sparis said.

The researchers argue that the effects of these earthquakes may have been overlooked when assessing the broader history of the eruption. Spares and his colleagues wonder whether some of the destruction at Pompeian that has been attributed to volcanic activity was actually seismic in nature. Furthermore, the earthquakes may have increased fear and panic, sending citizens into the streets, where they were exposed to pyroclastic flows. “Unfortunately, this was not a life-saving option,” Spares said.

This is not just ancient history, said Claudio Scarpati, a volcanologist at the University of Naples. Mount Vesuvius is still an active volcano and is located just 9 kilometers from his home in Naples, home to more than 3 million people. “Studies like [this] “These findings are invaluable in creating a more comprehensive understanding of the events that occurred 2,000 years ago,” he explained, adding that “this research highlights the ongoing risks faced by communities living near Mount Vesuvius today.”

– Evan Howell, science writer

Citation: Howell, E. (2024), Earthquakes may have amplified the destruction of Pompeii, Eos, 105, https://doi.org/10.1029/2024EO240351. Published 5 August 2024. Text © 2024. The authors. CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 Except where otherwise noted, images are subject to copyright. Any reuse without express permission of the copyright owner is prohibited.

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