Pliny said the plume (tephra) looked like an umbrella pine tree...

Pliny said the plume (tephra) looked like an umbrella pine tree...

WOULD YOU SURVIVE?

WARNING SIGNS 1) What would have been your first sign that an eruption of Mt. Vesuvius was imminent? A. All the animals were fleeing the area. B. Earthquakes throughout the region signaled the volcano was becoming active. C. The sky darkened and the smell of sulfur was strong.

WARNING SIGNS 2) If you, like other Romans of the time, had known about the history of Mt. Vesuvius, would the information have helped you survive? A. No, there were no previous eruptions. B. Yes. You would have known about two earlier catastrophic eruptions that wiped out entire populations. C. No. Previous eruptions were so different and insignificant that the information would have been meaningless.

WARNING SIGNS 3) Mt. Vesuvius had been dormant for ages before the eruption of AD 79. Did this make its eruption more or less dangerous? A. More dangerous. A long interval, plus growing seismic activity, is a sure sign of impending disaster. B. Less dangerous. More time allows the seismic pressure to lessen, causing the volcano to lapse into dormancy. C. Neither. Lapsed time has no effect on a volcanic eruption s intensity.

WINDS OF CHANCE 4) On the day of the eruption, the wind blew inland from across the Bay of Naples. Had the winds been from the north out to sea, as was usual, would you have experienced less devastation? A. No. The winds make little difference in volcanic eruptions. B. No. The force of the eruption was so severe, nothing was going to lessen its destructive force. C. Yes. The wind would have blown the volcano s debris column out over the bay, where it would have done less damage.

WINDS OF CHANCE 5) The volcano erupts, blasting a column of boiling rock and gas into the air. Soon a light hail of pebbles begins to fall. What is this? And should it cause immediate concern? A. No. This is merely the first thrust of the volcano; the real danger is the hot pyroclastic flows to follow. B. Yes. These are known as the fire rocks and can cause severe burns. C. Yes. These light pumice stones are mixed with much deadlier heavier volcanic rock.

WINDS OF CHANCE 6) What is this heavier rock mixed in with the lighter pumice stones? And why is it so dangerous? A. Limestone: Although it s heavier, the real danger lies in its superheated, jelly-like mass. B. Lithics: Cold, dense rock fragments torn from the interior of the volcano. C. Blastophites: Dense, loosely packed volcanic matter that explodes on contact like a fiery dirt clod.

PLINY S LEGACY 7) The eruption of Mt. Vesuvius was far more deadly than most volcanic eruptions. Why? A. Magma and superheated gas and ash formed a gigantic column in the atmosphere. B. Fiery molten lava was spattered over such a large area. C. Severe earthquakes accompanied the eruption, causing just as much damage.

PLINY S LEGACY 8) Why ARE eruptions like that of Mt. Vesuvius called Plinian Eruptions? A. They are named for the composition of the magma ejected from the volcano. B. They are named for the shape of a pine tree, which the plume cloud resembled. C. They are named for the first person to record this extraordinary event.

PLINY S LEGACY 9) In order to survive the eruption, where is the safest place to avoid the volcano s tephra? A. In the water, where it becomes harmless. B. Under a well-fortified overhanging or cover. C. On high ground, where it is unlikely to reach you.

RUN? 10) You are still in Pompeii, and the pumice stones are falling heavily now. What is your best course of action? A. Stay where you are and wait for help. B. Find the lowest, most fortified space and cover yourself with blankets. C. Evacuate quickly and carefully as you need to get as far from the volcano as possible.

RUN? 11) If you decide to make a run for it, what is the most important thing you should have with you? A. Money, as you will need to purchase supplies. B. Water, because uncontaminated water will become scarce. C. All your treasured possessions, as everything left behind will be destroyed.

RUN? 12) If you are fleeing from the base of Mt. Vesuvius, in which direction should you go? A. Head north into the country, where it is less congested. B. Head south to the sea and wait for rescue. C. Head west toward Naples, where they are better prepared for the emergency.

PYROCLASTIC PROBLEMS 13) You would have little chance of surviving if you encounter a pyroclastic flow. Why? A. It s a deadly ground-hugging avalanche of hot ash, pumice, rock fragments and volcanic gas. B. It s a sudden, killer molten lava river that runs down the side of an active volcano. C. It s a sudden chasm that opens up under your feet in the midst of an eruption or earthquake.

PYROCLASTIC PROBLEMS 14) The first pyroclastic surge has incinerated many coastal towns. The second surge narrowly misses Pompeii. But if you didn t flee, this surge could kill you. How? A. The intense heat is so sudden, it catches you unaware. B. The surge is preceded by such a strong blast wave, it levels everything nearby. C. The surge carries a cloud of toxic gas.

PYROCLASTIC PROBLEMS 15) The lethal combination of gases emitted from the eruption of Vesuvius was most likely a mix of... A. methane and carbon dioxide. B. carbon dioxide and hydrogen chloride. C. sulfur and hydrogen chloride.

WHAT NOW? 16) If you have survived the pumice hail, the first two superheated pyroclastic flows and the toxic gas cloud, are you FINALLY safe? A. Yes. The volcano s eruption is nearly over. B. No. But if you make a run for it now, you can likely escape the volcano s final wrath. C. No. A third and final pyroclastic flow is the strongest and will bury Pompeii.

WHAT NOW? 17) After 18 hours of constant eruption, the volcano is nearly spent. The force of its upward thrust weakens. Is this the merciful end to the danger? A. Yes. Once the eruption loses steam, the column of ash and gas will dissipate. B. No. The end to the upward thrust simply means the ash cloud s tephra will begin to fall back to Earth. C. Yes. With the end of the eruption and its destructive force weakening, the ash cloud will blow harmlessly out to sea.

WHAT NOW? 18) Much has been made of the Vesuvius eruption because of the account written by Pliny the Younger and spectacular archaeological finds. But was it truly cataclysmic in terms of lives and property lost? A. Yes. Thousands were killed, and Pompeii, Herculaneum and Stabiae were wiped from the Earth. B. No. Though lives were lost, the death toll was relatively minor. C. No. The area was lightly populated at the time. However, many glorious homes of wealthy Romans were destroyed.

LATIN 19) What was the Latin word for volcano? A. vulcanus B. magna magma porta C. The Romans didn t have a specific word for it.

ANSWERS 1. B 2. B 3. A 4. C 5. C 6. B 7. A 8. C 9. B 10. C 11. B 12. A 13. A 14. C 15. B 16. C 17. B 18. A 19. C