It may have only been on the go since the middle of the 19th century, but the next of our longest-running scientific experiments can trace its origins back much further, to AD79. A date etched in every Latin scholar’s memory, this was the fateful year when Italy’s Mount Vesuvius erupted, wiping out Pompeii and its sister city Herculaneum.
To ensure today’s inhabitants of Naples and the rest of the ‘Red Zone’ are better prepared, the Vesuvius Observatory has been monitoring its namesake, along with the Campi Flegrei and Ischia volcanoes, ever since 1841. And with just cause. Always active, reputedly the world’s most dangerous volcano has had around 30 major eruptions since AD79, including: in 1872, when the then director stayed at his post to make accurate observations; in 1906; and most recently in 1944, when it was accurately predicted.
Since then the Observatory has been moved to Naples although dozens of sensors still maintain a presence on the volcano itself. By continuously monitoring topographical changes, seismic activity and gas emissions, it’s hoped that these readings will provide the two weeks’ early warning necessary to evacuate the estimated 600,000 people directly at risk when, not if, Vesuvius next erupts with the same magnitude that pulverised Pompeii.
