https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dY_3ggKg0Bc
Printable View
I'm surprised the pyroclastic flow, given the speeds at which they travel, took so long to reach Pompeii.
Interesting. Now I'm watching Documentaries on Pompeii!
with the Guatemala eruption today
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MG9Z9sVROQ
I spent quite a bit of time around the areas where it happened in Guatemala beautiful country
It didn't take very long, it was just later in the chain of events.
Herculanium is not far from Pompeii, and is much better preserved than Pompeii. Herculanium never got the pyroclastic flow, so the second stories of all the buildings survived intact. Actually, pretty much everything survived intact. Sadly, most of the contents of both locations have been taken to museums off site, so to see any of the amazing artifacts, you have to go someplace else.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-44363444
The eruption generated pyroclastic flows - fast-moving mixtures of very hot gas and volcanic matter - which descended down the slopes, engulfing communities such as El Rodeo and San Miguel Los Lotes.
Eufemia Garcia, from Los Lotes, described how she narrowly escaped the volcanic matter as she walked through an alley to go to the shops. Though she had found two of her children alive she was still searching for two daughters and a son and a grandson, as well as her extended family.
"I do not want to leave, but go back, and there is nothing I can do to save my family," she said.
Went there about 5 years ago, amazing stuff. Fairly intact whorehouses!
Saw a documentary about Krakatoa on TV a few years back. When it blew there were people on a "neighboring" island (not sure how far away) who were up on a hill in some village or such. They could see the pyroclastic flow zooming across the water, but weren't sure what to make of it. When it hit the beach-level of the island they saw it leveling everything and tried to run at that point, but for most it was too late given the speed at which it travelled. By the time it was close enough to make out what it was doing their distance from the beach-level was quickly overcome by the flow.
IIRC Krakatoa was bigger than Pompeii as far as explosions are concerned.
Thanks for posting this. I just toured Pompeii not long ago, at the same time the eruptions in Hawaii were headline news - now, Guatemala. Pompeii is truly a bucket list-worthy experience. No other Roman ruins I've seen compare to it because they are relatively intact. It was fascinating and terrifying to think about what they experienced - they had to think the world was ending. Sad to see the same thing happening in Guatemala.