Latest news with #volcanic eruption
CNN
5 days ago
- General
- CNN
People moved back to Pompeii after devastating eruption, excavations reveal
The once-thriving Roman city of Pompeii resembles an eerie time capsule, seemingly unoccupied since a catastrophic volcanic eruption in AD 79, with the remains of its inhabitants forever frozen under a blanket of ash. But a closer look may reveal another bleak chapter in the tragedy's aftermath, according to new research. Recently unearthed clues suggest that a number of people, including survivors of the disaster as well as transients, returned to live among the ruins after the eruption, based on discoveries made during ongoing excavations of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii in southern Italy. But it's impossible to reconstruct a complete picture of exactly how many people returned and in what circumstances based on what has been uncovered so far, said Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of the archaeological park. Researchers currently investigating the Insula Meridionalis, a neighborhood in the southernmost part of the city, found pieces of pottery and other evidence dated to after the city's devastation over the course of the past year. The artifacts paint a picture of how, after the eruption, people sought refuge in the upper floors of buildings visible above the ash, Zuchtriegel said. Pompeii's residents ultimately abandoned the site following another devastating eruption in the fifth century, and the city remained undisturbed until excavations began in 1748. Zuchtriegel, an archaeologist and coauthor of a new study published on August 6 in the E-Journal of the Excavations of Pompeii, said the city's initial destruction in AD 79 has 'monopolized memory.' Previous traces of Pompeii's reoccupation, he added, have been known by researchers — but also largely ignored. 'In the enthusiasm to reach the levels of 79, with wonderfully preserved frescoes and furnishings still intact, the faint traces of the site's reoccupation were literally removed and often swept away without any documentation,' Zuchtriegel said in a statement. 'Thanks to the new excavations, the picture is now clearer: post-79 Pompeii reemerges, less as a city than as a precarious and gray agglomeration, a kind of encampment, a favela among the still recognizable ruins of the Pompeii of old.' During excavations of one building in Insula Meriodionalis, archaeologists determined that some of the structure's vaulted ceilings didn't collapse until sometime between the second and fourth centuries, meaning its storerooms were likely partially visible on the surface as people returned to Pompeii. Artifacts uncovered at the site suggest spaces that had once served as ground floors became cellars and caves where the latest occupants constructed ovens, mills and fireplaces. Items found in the building's storerooms also indicate that the reoccupation of Pompeii was likely more permanent than transitory, Zuchtriegel said. The researchers discovered remains of ceramics and cooking vessels, including a ceramic lamp decorated with an early symbol of Christ, all dated to the fifth century. The team also found a small, family-style bread oven from the same time period that was built with reused materials, such as bricks and tiles, within a Roman cistern. A coin among the Insula Meriodionalis haul that depicts the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, dated to AD 161, suggests people returned to Pompeii just a few decades after the infamous eruption, Zuchtriegel said. People inhabited the city until the 'Pollena eruption' of Mount Vesuvius in 472, but Pompeii failed to become the thriving, vital port town it was before. A series of additional eruptions also occurred early in the sixth century, according to the study authors. 'These events likely caused serious damage to an already weak economy and may have led to the abandonment of the settlements attested in the Vesuvian area,' the authors wrote in the study. Researchers estimate the city was once home to about 20,000 people when the AD 79 Vesuvius eruption occurred, and debate about how many died during the disaster is ongoing. So far, archaeologists have uncovered two-thirds of Pompeii and found the remains of about 1,300 people — a number that doesn't include those who perished beyond the center of town. With nowhere else to go, survivors likely returned to the ruins, living in an ash desert and looking for remnants of their homes and items — and sometimes in the process unearthing remains of victims, like the skeleton of a horse found wedged between two beams in the Insula Meriodionalis. Amid the pillaging of homes, Roman magistrates were likely sent to the city to prevent an anarchic type of existence, based on ancient literary sources the authors referenced in the study. Titus, Roman emperor from AD 79 to 81, sent two consuls to the Campanian region where Pompeii is located after the eruption to provide aid, assess the city and reallocate the property of those who had died in the eruption with no surviving heirs, Zuchtriegel said. The emperor also provided funds to help survivors, and one text even suggests he visited Pompeii after the eruption, Zuchtriegel added. Vegetation also slowly returned to the land, and Pompeii's post-eruption inhabitants dug wells to reach groundwater beneath the ash coating the city, the study authors said. The post-eruption settlers also buried their own, based on evidence of a newborn that was interred at the site during the reoccupation. 'We have to assume that although occupation was not temporary, life within the ruins must have been fairly basic although a latrine had been constructed presumably for those tending to the baking of bread,' Zuchtriegel said. 'Most of the comforts of first century Roman life had been eradicated.' The study demonstrates that contemporary archaeology is not about hunting for treasure, but reading signs in the sediment and understanding relationships among all the surviving physical evidence, said Daniel Diffendale, postdoctoral researcher at the Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa. He was not involved in the new research. Diffendale noted that scattered evidence for human activity at Pompeii post-eruption existed prior to the new study, but this latest research uncovers a previously unknown level of detail. 'This is more evidence of stable post-eruption habitation,' Diffendale wrote in an email. 'These are people carving out residences from utilitarian spaces, not living in luxurious atrium houses. On the other hand, this could also represent a part of the population that wasn't living in those luxurious houses prior to the eruption either, and whose lives are scarcely visible elsewhere in Pompeii.' Future excavations could reveal how the people reoccupying Pompeii supported themselves, whether it was through salvaging remains of the city, trying to live off the land agriculturally or creating some other form of commerce, he said. Dr. Marcello Mogetta, chair of the department of classics, archaeology and religion at the University of Missouri, said the Archaeological Park of Pompeii's staff should be commended for bringing the afterlife of the Roman town into sharper focus through its excavations and exhibitions. Mogetta was not involved in this research, but he is leading a project that investigates an area near the one discussed in the study. One of the authors of the new study is the officer responsible for the sector of Pompeii that Mogetta is studying, he said. 'This study ultimately highlights the resilience of the inhabitants of the wider Vesuvian region and their active role in the economic recovery of the area over periods that have been largely removed from the site's long-term history,' Mogetta said. The findings shed light on the 'invisible city' of Pompeii that rose again after AD 79 — one that is just beginning to be investigated, the authors wrote in the report. 'In these cases, we archaeologists feel like psychologists of memory buried in the earth: we bring out the parts removed from history, and this phenomenon should lead us to a broader reflection on the archaeological unconscious, on everything that is repressed or obliterated or remains hidden, in the shadow of other seemingly more important things,' Zuchtriegel said. Sign up for CNN's Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more.
CNN
5 days ago
- General
- CNN
People moved back to Pompeii after devastating eruption, excavations reveal
The once-thriving Roman city of Pompeii resembles an eerie time capsule, seemingly unoccupied since a catastrophic volcanic eruption in AD 79, with the remains of its inhabitants forever frozen under a blanket of ash. But a closer look may reveal another bleak chapter in the tragedy's aftermath, according to new research. Recently unearthed clues suggest that a number of people, including survivors of the disaster as well as transients, returned to live among the ruins after the eruption, based on discoveries made during ongoing excavations of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii in southern Italy. But it's impossible to reconstruct a complete picture of exactly how many people returned and in what circumstances based on what has been uncovered so far, said Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of the archaeological park. Researchers currently investigating the Insula Meridionalis, a neighborhood in the southernmost part of the city, found pieces of pottery and other evidence dated to after the city's devastation over the course of the past year. The artifacts paint a picture of how, after the eruption, people sought refuge in the upper floors of buildings visible above the ash, Zuchtriegel said. Pompeii's residents ultimately abandoned the site following another devastating eruption in the fifth century, and the city remained undisturbed until excavations began in 1748. Zuchtriegel, an archaeologist and coauthor of a new study published on August 6 in the E-Journal of the Excavations of Pompeii, said the city's initial destruction in AD 79 has 'monopolized memory.' Previous traces of Pompeii's reoccupation, he added, have been known by researchers — but also largely ignored. 'In the enthusiasm to reach the levels of 79, with wonderfully preserved frescoes and furnishings still intact, the faint traces of the site's reoccupation were literally removed and often swept away without any documentation,' Zuchtriegel said in a statement. 'Thanks to the new excavations, the picture is now clearer: post-79 Pompeii reemerges, less as a city than as a precarious and gray agglomeration, a kind of encampment, a favela among the still recognizable ruins of the Pompeii of old.' During excavations of one building in Insula Meriodionalis, archaeologists determined that some of the structure's vaulted ceilings didn't collapse until sometime between the second and fourth centuries, meaning its storerooms were likely partially visible on the surface as people returned to Pompeii. Artifacts uncovered at the site suggest spaces that had once served as ground floors became cellars and caves where the latest occupants constructed ovens, mills and fireplaces. Items found in the building's storerooms also indicate that the reoccupation of Pompeii was likely more permanent than transitory, Zuchtriegel said. The researchers discovered remains of ceramics and cooking vessels, including a ceramic lamp decorated with an early symbol of Christ, all dated to the fifth century. The team also found a small, family-style bread oven from the same time period that was built with reused materials, such as bricks and tiles, within a Roman cistern. A coin among the Insula Meriodionalis haul that depicts the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, dated to AD 161, suggests people returned to Pompeii just a few decades after the infamous eruption, Zuchtriegel said. People inhabited the city until the 'Pollena eruption' of Mount Vesuvius in 472, but Pompeii failed to become the thriving, vital port town it was before. A series of additional eruptions also occurred early in the sixth century, according to the study authors. 'These events likely caused serious damage to an already weak economy and may have led to the abandonment of the settlements attested in the Vesuvian area,' the authors wrote in the study. Researchers estimate the city was once home to about 20,000 people when the AD 79 Vesuvius eruption occurred, and debate about how many died during the disaster is ongoing. So far, archaeologists have uncovered two-thirds of Pompeii and found the remains of about 1,300 people — a number that doesn't include those who perished beyond the center of town. With nowhere else to go, survivors likely returned to the ruins, living in an ash desert and looking for remnants of their homes and items — and sometimes in the process unearthing remains of victims, like the skeleton of a horse found wedged between two beams in the Insula Meriodionalis. Amid the pillaging of homes, Roman magistrates were likely sent to the city to prevent an anarchic type of existence, based on ancient literary sources the authors referenced in the study. Titus, Roman emperor from AD 79 to 81, sent two consuls to the Campanian region where Pompeii is located after the eruption to provide aid, assess the city and reallocate the property of those who had died in the eruption with no surviving heirs, Zuchtriegel said. The emperor also provided funds to help survivors, and one text even suggests he visited Pompeii after the eruption, Zuchtriegel added. Vegetation also slowly returned to the land, and Pompeii's post-eruption inhabitants dug wells to reach groundwater beneath the ash coating the city, the study authors said. The post-eruption settlers also buried their own, based on evidence of a newborn that was interred at the site during the reoccupation. 'We have to assume that although occupation was not temporary, life within the ruins must have been fairly basic although a latrine had been constructed presumably for those tending to the baking of bread,' Zuchtriegel said. 'Most of the comforts of first century Roman life had been eradicated.' The study demonstrates that contemporary archaeology is not about hunting for treasure, but reading signs in the sediment and understanding relationships among all the surviving physical evidence, said Daniel Diffendale, postdoctoral researcher at the Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa. He was not involved in the new research. Diffendale noted that scattered evidence for human activity at Pompeii post-eruption existed prior to the new study, but this latest research uncovers a previously unknown level of detail. 'This is more evidence of stable post-eruption habitation,' Diffendale wrote in an email. 'These are people carving out residences from utilitarian spaces, not living in luxurious atrium houses. On the other hand, this could also represent a part of the population that wasn't living in those luxurious houses prior to the eruption either, and whose lives are scarcely visible elsewhere in Pompeii.' Future excavations could reveal how the people reoccupying Pompeii supported themselves, whether it was through salvaging remains of the city, trying to live off the land agriculturally or creating some other form of commerce, he said. Dr. Marcello Mogetta, chair of the department of classics, archaeology and religion at the University of Missouri, said the Archaeological Park of Pompeii's staff should be commended for bringing the afterlife of the Roman town into sharper focus through its excavations and exhibitions. Mogetta was not involved in this research, but he is leading a project that investigates an area near the one discussed in the study. One of the authors of the new study is the officer responsible for the sector of Pompeii that Mogetta is studying, he said. 'This study ultimately highlights the resilience of the inhabitants of the wider Vesuvian region and their active role in the economic recovery of the area over periods that have been largely removed from the site's long-term history,' Mogetta said. The findings shed light on the 'invisible city' of Pompeii that rose again after AD 79 — one that is just beginning to be investigated, the authors wrote in the report. 'In these cases, we archaeologists feel like psychologists of memory buried in the earth: we bring out the parts removed from history, and this phenomenon should lead us to a broader reflection on the archaeological unconscious, on everything that is repressed or obliterated or remains hidden, in the shadow of other seemingly more important things,' Zuchtriegel said. Sign up for CNN's Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more.
Daily Mail
08-08-2025
- Science
- Daily Mail
Fears as Spanish island's biggest volcano has 40 percent of erupting, according to experts
Fears of an incoming volcanic 'mega eruption' on Tenerife's Mount Teide have been allayed by scientists following a four-hour seismic swarm of mini-earthquakes - but experts say an eruption will happen in the island in years to come. The swarm of 700 tiny earthquakes, felt in Las Cañadas, southwest of Pico Viejo, in this week had left islanders fearing Teide might erupt at the height of Tenerife's busiest tourist season. The active volcano is a major draw for nature enthusiasts, bringing in more than three million visitors a year. The latest swarm began at 2am local time on August 7th and carried on until dawn. The peak last erupted in 1909 but experts have now suggested there's a 30 to 40 per cent chance of another eruption within the next 50 years. This week experts at the National Geographic Institute (IGN) said further investigations suggest that it's unlikely the volcano will erupt very soon, with the swarm not at a level of magnetic intrusion that suggests major activity is set to happen imminently. Director of the IGN in the Canary Islands, Itahiza Domínguez, said the four-hour spurt of activity on Tenerife wasn't a cause for concern, although it is the sixth swarm recorded in the Las Cañadas area since 2016. In a statement, reports El Dia, he said: 'You could say this is nothing, but it's clear that this is yet another step in magmatic activity. 'We have to work as if the next intrusion were tomorrow. It could happen; it happened in La Palma.' He added: 'Someday there will be an eruption in Tenerife, we don't know if in one year, ten years, or a hundred years.' Before an eruption there are clear precursory signals in seismicity, gas and ground deformation. Researchers say the tremors are part of the islands' normal seismic activity and differ greatly from those felt before the eruption of the Tajogaite volcano in nearby La Palma in 2021. Tajogaite, known as 'cracked mountain', erupted for 86 days, ending in December of 2021 spewing ash and rivers of lava over the Aridane valley below - with homes, roads, fields and banana plantations swallowed whole. La Palma, home to about 85,000 people who live mostly from fruit farming and tourism, is roughly 22 miles long and 12 miles wide at its broadest point. The Canary Islands are found between the African, Eurasian and American tectonic plates, exposing them to regular seismic activity. Mount Teide is the highest mountain in Spain, and forms part of the most visited national park in Europe; it can be seen from almost all of the north of Tenerife and much of the south too. According to Eric Dunham, an associate professor of Stanford University's School of Earth, energy and Environmental Sciences, 'Volcanoes are complicated and there is currently no universally applicable means of predicting eruption. In all likelihood, there never will be.' However, there are indicators of increased volcanic activity, which researchers can use to help predict future eruptions. Researchers can track indicators such as volcanic infrasound, when the lava lake rises up in the crater of an open vent volcano, a sign of a potential eruption - the pitch or frequency of the sounds generated by the magma tends to increase. Gas emissions too are major signifiers. As magma nears the surface and pressure decreases, gases escape. Sulfur dioxide is one of the main components of volcanic gases, and increasing amounts of it are a sign of increasing amounts of magma near the surface of a volcano. And changes to a volcano's ground surface (volcano deformation), which appear as swelling, sinking, or cracking can be another major indicator, say experts Which can be caused by magma, gas, or other fluids (usually water) moving underground or by movements in the Earth's crust due to motion along fault lines. Swelling of a volcano cans signal that magma has accumulated near the surface.
The Independent
17-07-2025
- The Independent
Iceland volcano eruption live: Huge wall of fire expands to the north as gas cloud heads towards airport
The volcanic fissure that opened up in Iceland late on Tuesday has now expanded, and stretches further north than at any time since 2023. Lava and toxic gas continue to spill from the latest eruption on the Reykjanes Peninsula. Officials say the crack in the ground measures some 2.4 kilometres, with fresh lava now covering 3.2 square kilometres. A large sulfur dioxide gas cloud is blowing toward Keflavík International Airport. Authorities have told people nearby to stay indoors and keep their windows shut as pollution levels rise. Despite this, flights are running normally and the airport remains open. Nearby towns, the popular Blue Lagoon spa, and other tourist sites were evacuated as a safety measure. Grindavík, a town evacuated last year, remains largely empty. This marks the twelfth eruption in the area since 2021 and is part of a growing sequence of volcanic events on the Reykjanes Peninsula, which began when dormant systems were reactivated after centuries of silence. Lava flow continues but has decreased in intensity, says IMO Iceland's Sundhnúkur crater continued this morning, though officials say there is a slowdown in both lava flows and earthquakes. The Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) said the main fissure, which opened northeast of Stóra Skógfell early yesterday, has elongated and now extends further north than any since late 2023. Lava is mostly accumulating to the east, spreading across low-lying areas and covering about 3.2 square kilometres according to the latest satellite imagery. Volcanic tremor and seismic activity have dropped significantly since the initial outburst, with only a few minor quakes recorded per hour. "The eruption is ongoing, but intensity has declined since this morning," the IMO said in its latest update. However, hazardous gases and wildfires remain a serious risk for communities on the Reykjanes Peninsula, it said. High concentrations of sulfur dioxide are being measured over the region, extending westward on strong southeast winds. Residents in towns including Reykjanesbær, Vogar and Sandgerði were warned to keep windows closed, turn off ventilation, and stay indoors during high pollution periods. Stuti Mishra17 July 2025 07:56 Lava flows from wall of fire during volcanic eruption in Iceland Stuti Mishra17 July 2025 07:46 Evacuation went smoothly, police say Police commissioner Margret Palsdottir told AP the evacuation went smoothly and lasted about 90 minutes. 'Of course, people have different opinions on whether the evacuation is necessary, but it is a decision we make and take responsibility for,' she said. Stuti Mishra17 July 2025 07:12 Recent eruptions in Iceland Today's eruption near Sundhnúkur crater is the 12th since volcanic activity reawakened on the Reykjanes Peninsula in 2021, ending nearly 800 years of geological silence in the a quick look at the most recent eruptions in the same system: Dec 2023: A powerful fissure eruption near Hagafell led to the first full evacuation of Grindavík and triggered widespread ground deformation. Jan 2024: Lava breached defences, destroying homes and killing one person in a ground collapse. Feb 2024: A short but intense eruption cut off hot-water pipelines, causing major disruption in the region. Mar–May 2024: The longest and most voluminous eruption so far, lasting 54 days and producing 35 million cubic metres of lava. May–June 2024: Another eruption followed, keeping the region under continuous alert. Nov–Dec 2024: Lava reached the Blue Lagoon car park during a fissure event, prompting mass evacuations once again. Alexander Butler17 July 2025 03:00 Full story: Iceland volcano erupts opening up 1km-long fissure A volcano on Iceland's Reykjanes Peninsulaerupted again on Wednesday, spewing lava and smoke in what officials say is the twelfth eruption in the region since 2021. The eruption prompted fresh evacuations from the nearby town of Grindavík, a luxury hotel, and the popular Blue Lagoon spa, Icelandicauthorities said. The Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) said magma pushed through the earth's crust, opening a fissure estimated to be between 700 and 1,000 metres long. Tourists evacuated as Iceland volcano erupts opening up 1km-long fissure Eruption sent glowing lava and columns of smoke into air, with dramatic footage showing orange flows lighting up the dark volcanic landscape Alexander Butler17 July 2025 02:00 Evacuations ordered in Grindavík The eruption prompted fresh evacuations from the nearby town of Grindavík. However, the town has been almost empty for months. Authorities first ordered a full evacuation of the town in November 2023 after seismic activity and land deformation signalled a high risk of magma movement beneath the area. A fissure eruption in December caused structural damage to roads and buildings. Subsequent eruptions in January and February 2024 led to further destruction, including the collapse of homes and the death of one person due to ground cracking. Although some residents briefly returned during calmer periods, the area has remained largely off-limits. Alexander Butler17 July 2025 00:01 Evacuations ordered in Grindavík The eruption prompted fresh evacuations from the nearby town of Grindavík. However, the town has been almost empty for months. Authorities first ordered a full evacuation of the town in November 2023 after seismic activity and land deformation signalled a high risk of magma movement beneath the area. A fissure eruption in December caused structural damage to roads and buildings. Subsequent eruptions in January and February 2024 led to further destruction, including the collapse of homes and the death of one person due to ground cracking. Although some residents briefly returned during calmer periods, the area has remained largely off-limits. Alexander Butler16 July 2025 23:00 What makes Iceland so volcanically active? Iceland sits directly on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates are pulling apart. This geological hotspot fuels regular volcanic and seismic activity. The Reykjanes Peninsula, now erupting again, had been dormant for 800 years before reawakening in 2021. Alexander Butler16 July 2025 22:00 This is what we know so far about the Sundhnúkur eruption in Iceland A volcanic eruption began early on Wednesday near Sundhnúkur crater on the Reykjanes Peninsula, southwest Iceland. Lava is flowing from a fissure estimated to be 700–1,000 metres long, according to the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO). Authorities evacuated Grindavík, the nearby Blue Lagoon resort, and surrounding areas as a safety measure. No infrastructure has been damaged so far, and there is currently no threat to populated areas. The eruption has not affected flights at Keflavík International Airport, operations are continuing as normal. This marks the 12th eruption in the Reykjanes region since 2021, part of a prolonged volcanic cycle. Experts warn that similar eruptions may continue in the region over the coming months or years. Alexander Butler16 July 2025 21:00 This is the 12th eruption in the region since 2021 The latest eruption is part of a broader pattern of seismic activity that reawakened the Reykjanes Peninsula in 2021 after centuries of dormancy. Since then, the area has seen repeated volcanic events, with fissure eruptions now becoming a near-annual phenomenon. Alexander Butler16 July 2025 20:00
