The Final Hours: Witness Pompeii’s Catastrophic Demise (Video)
As Mount Vesuvius erupted violently in 79 AD, the skies above Pompeii turned dark and ominous. A deadly cloud of super-heated gases spewed forth, reaching a height of 33 km, and molten rock and hot ash were ejected at a rate of 1.5 million tons per second. The sheer force of the eruption was staggering, releasing 100,000 times the thermal energy of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Pompeii was quickly enveloped in a blanket of ash, pumice, and molten rock. The city's inhabitants were caught in a desperate struggle to survive as the volcanic debris rained down upon them. The air was thick with choking dust, and the ground shook beneath their feet. Despite their efforts to flee, many were ultimately trapped and perished in the ensuing chaos. The pyroclastic flows associated further compounded the disaster, engulfing everything in its path. This video is a gripping and immersive animation that takes viewers on a journey back in time to witness the final hours of Pompeii.
- Pompeii: The Ancient Roman City Frozen in Time
- Heat from Mount Vesuvius Eruption as Deadly as Hiroshima Atomic Bomb
Top image: Eruption of Mount Vesuvius and destruction of Pompeii. Source: Sunshower Shots / Adobe Stock.
