At least 121 eruptions at Vesuvius have caused fatalities. The most deadly
eruptions were in 79AD (>3500 fatalities) (3/5 of Pompeii has been excavated
and about 2,000 skeletons have been found so far) and 1631 (>4,000
fatalities). Most deaths are caused by pyroclastic flows. Estimates for
fatalities for the 1631 eruption run as high as 18,000. The 1631 eruption
deposited 12 inches (30 cm) of tephra in Naples.
Steve Mattox, University of North Dakota
Sources of Information:
Simkin, T., and Fiske, R.S., Krakatau 1883: The volcanic eruption and its
effects: Smithsonian Institution Press: Washington, D.C., 464 p.
Krista Anderson
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