Eruption Timeline
24 August 79AD
8 a.m. Several small clouds smoke come from Mt Vesuvius sporadically.
For several days past there had been earth tremors which were not particularly alarming because they are frequent in Campania; but that night the shocks were so violent that everything felt as if were not only shaken but overturned. - Pliny the Younger – who observed the eruption from Misenum, beyond Naples
1 p.m. Volcanic matter is forced upwards high into the air above the mountain as Vesuvius erupts suddenly. After 30 minutes this tower of smoke has risen some 14km high. Ash begins to spread out over surrounding land, in particular Pompeii.
… a cloud of unusual size and appearance…being like an umbrella pine, for it rose to a great height on a sort of trunk and then split off into branches …
3 p.m. Vesuvius continues to erupt. Volcanic matter including pumice, ash and hardened lava (lapilli) begin to rain down on Pompeii. Some citizens begin to flee, other stay in their homes. Earthquake shake the area.
… there was a danger from falling pumice stones … as a protection against falling objects they put pillows on their heads tied down with cloths …
We also saw the sea sucked away …so that quantities of sea creatures were left stranded on dry sand.
5 – 6 p.m. Large chunks of pumice begin to fall now and the surrounding area is buried in other debris that is beginning to accumulate. Roofs of building have begun to collapse. The sun has now been blocked out by the ash cloud as Pompeii plunges into darkness.
25 August 79 AD
1 – 2 a.m. A series of mudflows erupt from the mountain, and run towards Herculaneum. The hot flows burn much of Herculaneum and bury the rest. Debris is still falling in Pompeii and has buried most buildings. People have been trapped if not killed in buildings that have collapsed. Fires as well as lightening can be seen on Mount Vesuvius.
4 a.m. Scalding hot ash and gases fall to earth as the dark cloud collapses. Pyroclastic flows cascade down that mountain side killing any remaining Herculaneum citizens.
5 a.m. Intense earthquake continue to rock the area. The debris falling on Pompeii has eased somewhat but the air is thick with suffocating ash. A second pyroclastic flow further buries Herculaneum.
6:30 a.m. Pompeii's town wall holds back a third pyroclastic flow that has surged towards the city.
6.30 – 7:30 a.m. Subsequent, stronger surges break through the walls and smother the town with waves of toxic gas and scalding mud and ash. Any remaining survivors are killed, in fact the majority of fatalities took place at this stage of the eruption.
8 a.m. The largest and most destructive surge hits Pompeii, as well as Stabiae and as far as Naples. Misenum is smothered in ash but is not touched by the surge. Over the following day surges, storms and other volcanic activity continues. Vesuvius's summit collapses in the days following and by the time the eruption has ended the entire region has been destroyed, covered in a thick layer of ash, mud and hardened volcanic rock.
8 a.m. Several small clouds smoke come from Mt Vesuvius sporadically.
For several days past there had been earth tremors which were not particularly alarming because they are frequent in Campania; but that night the shocks were so violent that everything felt as if were not only shaken but overturned. - Pliny the Younger – who observed the eruption from Misenum, beyond Naples
1 p.m. Volcanic matter is forced upwards high into the air above the mountain as Vesuvius erupts suddenly. After 30 minutes this tower of smoke has risen some 14km high. Ash begins to spread out over surrounding land, in particular Pompeii.
… a cloud of unusual size and appearance…being like an umbrella pine, for it rose to a great height on a sort of trunk and then split off into branches …
3 p.m. Vesuvius continues to erupt. Volcanic matter including pumice, ash and hardened lava (lapilli) begin to rain down on Pompeii. Some citizens begin to flee, other stay in their homes. Earthquake shake the area.
… there was a danger from falling pumice stones … as a protection against falling objects they put pillows on their heads tied down with cloths …
We also saw the sea sucked away …so that quantities of sea creatures were left stranded on dry sand.
5 – 6 p.m. Large chunks of pumice begin to fall now and the surrounding area is buried in other debris that is beginning to accumulate. Roofs of building have begun to collapse. The sun has now been blocked out by the ash cloud as Pompeii plunges into darkness.
25 August 79 AD
1 – 2 a.m. A series of mudflows erupt from the mountain, and run towards Herculaneum. The hot flows burn much of Herculaneum and bury the rest. Debris is still falling in Pompeii and has buried most buildings. People have been trapped if not killed in buildings that have collapsed. Fires as well as lightening can be seen on Mount Vesuvius.
4 a.m. Scalding hot ash and gases fall to earth as the dark cloud collapses. Pyroclastic flows cascade down that mountain side killing any remaining Herculaneum citizens.
5 a.m. Intense earthquake continue to rock the area. The debris falling on Pompeii has eased somewhat but the air is thick with suffocating ash. A second pyroclastic flow further buries Herculaneum.
6:30 a.m. Pompeii's town wall holds back a third pyroclastic flow that has surged towards the city.
6.30 – 7:30 a.m. Subsequent, stronger surges break through the walls and smother the town with waves of toxic gas and scalding mud and ash. Any remaining survivors are killed, in fact the majority of fatalities took place at this stage of the eruption.
8 a.m. The largest and most destructive surge hits Pompeii, as well as Stabiae and as far as Naples. Misenum is smothered in ash but is not touched by the surge. Over the following day surges, storms and other volcanic activity continues. Vesuvius's summit collapses in the days following and by the time the eruption has ended the entire region has been destroyed, covered in a thick layer of ash, mud and hardened volcanic rock.