Gulf of Naples, Italy

Dominating the landscape of the beautiful crescent-shaped bay of the Gulf of Naples, the only active volcano in mainland Europe towers 1,281 meters (4,203 feet) above the shoreline. Mount Vesuvius is known for spewing pumice rock and ash that buried the Roman town (and people) of Pompeii in the eruption of 79 AD.

Today, Vesuvius is a National Park with a trail to the rim of the volcano’s crater. We enjoyed leaving the noise and bustle of the city far below to walk in the scree and feel the energy of the earth. Steaming fumaroles spiraled up along the edge of the steep crater reminding us that Vesuvius could erupt again at any time. Lichens and small flowering plants have sprouted up along the walk since the last eruption in 1944. We hiked in and out of the clouds while exploring the rim, looking down at spectacular views of Naples, Sorrento, Pompeii and the islands in the Mediterranean.

Conversation starters

1. Describe the plate boundary at the edge of Eurasia and Africa – why do volcanoes form along these kinds of convergent zones?
2. How could we describe the slope of the steep volcanic cone?
3. How is volcanic pumice rock different from other rock we’ve seen recently?

Links and resources

More about Mount Vesuvius

Mt. Vesuvius National Park