A new hazard scenario at Vesuvius: deadly thermal impact of detached ash cloud surges in 79CE at Herculaneum
Abstract Diluted pyroclastic density currents are capable to cause huge devastation and mortality around volcanoes, and temperature is a crucial parameter in assessing their lethal power. Reflectance analysis on carbonized wood from ancient Herculaneum allowed a new reconstruction of the thermal eve...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2023-04-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-32623-3 |
| _version_ | 1797850040177262592 |
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| author | Alessandra Pensa Guido Giordano Sveva Corrado Pier Paolo Petrone |
| author_facet | Alessandra Pensa Guido Giordano Sveva Corrado Pier Paolo Petrone |
| author_sort | Alessandra Pensa |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Diluted pyroclastic density currents are capable to cause huge devastation and mortality around volcanoes, and temperature is a crucial parameter in assessing their lethal power. Reflectance analysis on carbonized wood from ancient Herculaneum allowed a new reconstruction of the thermal events that affected buildings and humans during the 79CE Vesuvius eruption. Here we show that the first PDC entered the town was a short-lived, ash cloud surge, with temperatures of 555–495 °C, capable of causing instant death of people, while leaving only a few decimeters of ash on ground, which we interpret as detached from high concentration currents. The subsequent pyroclastic currents that progressively buried the town were mostly higher concentration PDCs at lower temperatures, between 465 and 390 and 350–315 °C. Charcoal proved to be the only proxy capable of recording multiple, ephemeral extreme thermal events, thus revealing for the first time the real thermal impact of the 79CE eruption. The lethal impact documented for diluted PDC produced during ancient and recent volcanic eruptions suggests that such hazard deserves greater consideration at Vesuvius and elsewhere, especially the underestimated hazard associated with hot detached ash cloud surges, which, though short lived, may expose buildings to severe heat damages and people to death. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T18:54:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8457d01e57024582875782df04594e27 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T18:54:59Z |
| publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-8457d01e57024582875782df04594e272023-04-09T11:15:30ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222023-04-0113111310.1038/s41598-023-32623-3A new hazard scenario at Vesuvius: deadly thermal impact of detached ash cloud surges in 79CE at HerculaneumAlessandra Pensa0Guido Giordano1Sveva Corrado2Pier Paolo Petrone3Science Department, Geology, University of Roma TreScience Department, Geology, University of Roma TreScience Department, Geology, University of Roma TreDepartment of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, Laboratory of Human Osteobiology and Forensic Anthropology, University Federico II of NaplesAbstract Diluted pyroclastic density currents are capable to cause huge devastation and mortality around volcanoes, and temperature is a crucial parameter in assessing their lethal power. Reflectance analysis on carbonized wood from ancient Herculaneum allowed a new reconstruction of the thermal events that affected buildings and humans during the 79CE Vesuvius eruption. Here we show that the first PDC entered the town was a short-lived, ash cloud surge, with temperatures of 555–495 °C, capable of causing instant death of people, while leaving only a few decimeters of ash on ground, which we interpret as detached from high concentration currents. The subsequent pyroclastic currents that progressively buried the town were mostly higher concentration PDCs at lower temperatures, between 465 and 390 and 350–315 °C. Charcoal proved to be the only proxy capable of recording multiple, ephemeral extreme thermal events, thus revealing for the first time the real thermal impact of the 79CE eruption. The lethal impact documented for diluted PDC produced during ancient and recent volcanic eruptions suggests that such hazard deserves greater consideration at Vesuvius and elsewhere, especially the underestimated hazard associated with hot detached ash cloud surges, which, though short lived, may expose buildings to severe heat damages and people to death.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-32623-3 |
| spellingShingle | Alessandra Pensa Guido Giordano Sveva Corrado Pier Paolo Petrone A new hazard scenario at Vesuvius: deadly thermal impact of detached ash cloud surges in 79CE at Herculaneum Scientific Reports |
| title | A new hazard scenario at Vesuvius: deadly thermal impact of detached ash cloud surges in 79CE at Herculaneum |
| title_full | A new hazard scenario at Vesuvius: deadly thermal impact of detached ash cloud surges in 79CE at Herculaneum |
| title_fullStr | A new hazard scenario at Vesuvius: deadly thermal impact of detached ash cloud surges in 79CE at Herculaneum |
| title_full_unstemmed | A new hazard scenario at Vesuvius: deadly thermal impact of detached ash cloud surges in 79CE at Herculaneum |
| title_short | A new hazard scenario at Vesuvius: deadly thermal impact of detached ash cloud surges in 79CE at Herculaneum |
| title_sort | new hazard scenario at vesuvius deadly thermal impact of detached ash cloud surges in 79ce at herculaneum |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-32623-3 |
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