Permanent Evidence of Life And Death in Pompeii 79 AD August 24, 2010

Mt. Vesuvius in a Plinian eruption as described by Pliny the Younger in 79 AD

Last Vesuvius Eruption in 1944 Looks Very Similar to Pliny's 79 AD Observations

On This Date in History:  Italy is in some regard the cradle of Western Civilization, though the roots of modern Western culture can be traced to many regions around the Mediterreanean Sea.   Mixed in with the history of Italy and the Roman Empire are episodes of tragedy that were largely man-made.  However, some disasters were simply human tragedy.  The Bay of Naples in Southern Italy has a beautiful location for a town in the Campania region of the Napoli Province at the mouth of the Sarno River at the base of a giant mountain.  What could be better than a port near a river that gave access to inland markets on a bay that is a gateway to the rest of the world?   Sometimes a hidden menace can spoil what appears to be prime real estate.

Impact Zone from Eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD

In the early part of the 1st Century, earthquakes in the region were quite common and accepted as just a way of life.  Most were merely a nuisance but in 62 AD there was a violent tembler,even by Italian standards.  In 64 AD, the Roman Emperor Nero was in Naples performing when another major earthquake struck.  While life went on, it took quite a bit of time for the town to recover.  In 79 AD, the town was still recovering from the earthquake in 62 AD and, to a lesser extent, the one in 64 AD.  Around that time, more earthquakes rattled the area but this time something strange happened.  The wells and springs all dried up.  By the time August rolled around, the earth had cracked.  In late August, the sea became rather turbulent and the animals in the area began to behave in a very strange manner.   The residents of the town, probably more appropriately called a city, were somewhat alarmed but not so much that they thought to leave their home at the base of Mount Vesuvius.  Had they known what the mountain was telling them, they most likely would have left their city of Pompeii because on this date in 79 AD, Mount Vesuvius erupted violently.

Poor Dog Captured Forever in Image of Death

This single event is responsible for making Mt. Vesuvius one of the more well known volcanoes in the world.  However, it’s not so much for the event as to what was discovered 1700 years later.  In fact, the modern world may have been ignorant to the great eruption in 79 AD had it not been for the writing of a young man known as Pliny the Younger.  He was the nephew of a Roman offiical who had charge of the Roman Navy in the region.  His uncle, Pliny the Elder, was not only a military and political leader, but he was also a naturalist.  He also raised his nephew.   As a naturalist, Pliny the Elder habitually recorded many scientific observations and his nephew followed in his uncle’s footsteps.  Pliny the Younger wrote to the Roman historian Tacitus about the events of August 24, 79 AD.  He lived with his uncle about 18 miles from Pompeii in the town of Misenum where the fleet was stationed.  At one in the afternoon, the Younger’s mother urged his uncle to look at the strange cloud rising from a distant mountain.  He said that it ”was ascending, the appearance of which I cannot give you a more exact description of than by likening it to that of a pine tree, for it shot up to a great height in the form of a very tall trunk, which spread itself out at the top into a sort of branches.”   

What Appears to Be A Family Frozen in Time from 79AD

The Elder thought he’d take a small boat out to make an observation and asked the Younger if he’d like to come along but the young man was too busy with his studies.  Before the Elder could leave on his scientific excursion, he received a note from a relative that said her home at the foot of Mt. Vesuvius was in great danger and that there was no escape except by sea.  The Elder took off his scientific hat and took on the role of Roman citizen and Prefect and ordered his fleet to sea.  As he neared the city, his ships were pelted by falling stone and pumice as well as burning cinders.  Though his ships were in grave danger, he ordered them to shore.  When his pilot advised that they turn back, Pliny the Elder responded by saying, “Fortune favours the brave; steer to where Pomponianus is!”

An Embrace That Has Lasted Since August 79 AD

Pliny the Elder died that day in the firestorm.  Mt. Vesuvius buried the city of Pompeii under 10 feet of ash while the neighboring town of Herculaneum found itself 75 feet below the surface.  The eruption happened so suddenly that thousands of people died, many of whom were entombed as they attempted to flee.  Mt. Vesuvius erupted about every 100 years thereafter until about 1037 when the volcano went silent for about six centuries.  It awakened from its slumber in 1631 resulting in the deaths of about 4000 people.  As I said in the beginning, volcano notwithstanding, it was  a great place for a city so the rebuilding began.  While the city continued its rebirth over a century later, excavations uncovered the ancient city of Pompeii beginning on March 23, 1748.   The excavation work continues today.  

Preservation Was So Exact that Expressions of Agony Can Be Seen on the Victims

The observational recordings of the Mt. Vesuvius eruption by Pliny the Younger , preserved by Tacitus, resulted in the earliest detailed description of a volcanic eruption in human history.  That in itself makes the volcano noteworthy.  But, the discovery of the buried city is what really put the mountain and the city on the map as the ash preserved the city in a virtual snapshot of time.  From the ruins, it has been determined how Romans in the 1st century lived and they provide some clue as to how the people of Pompeii died.  Not only were the buildings and examples of advanced Roman engineering maintained as a model for archaeologists and anthropologists to study, but human remains were suprisingly left behind.  Stone like figures that appeared to be sculptures of people and animals in the throws of death were found.  The descriptive skill of Pliny the Younger and the heroic effort of his uncle led to the characterization of eruptions similar to that of Vesuvius as “Plinian.”  A typical Plinian eruption features the ejection of tephra into the atmosphere in a cloud that resembles a mushroom cloud, or as the Younger described it, a pine tree.  In 79 AD, it is speculated that the cloud rose to about 66,000 feet and pumice and ash rained on the countryside for 18 hours.  Under the weight of the ash buildings collapsed and then a blast of gasses and extreme heat engulfed the city.  Some speculation as to the ultimate demise of those who could not escape by sea centers around the excessive heat. 

US Army Air Corps Suffered More Damage From Mt. Vesuvius in 1944 than from the Germans and Italians

Now, Mt. Vesuvius has erupted about 50 times since that fateful day in 79 AD yet, as I’ve said, its a great place for a city and today there are nearly 3 million inhabitants of the region at the foot of Mt. Vesuvius.  It has got to be one of the most vulnerable and dangerous of all the world’s metropolises.  The last time it erupted was right in the middle of World War II.  The Mt. Vesuvius eruption in 1944 came just as the allies were attempting to take control of Italy from Mussolini and Hitler and, at times, the erupting volcano was more of an enemy than the facist soldiers.  Since 1944, the volcano has remained silent yet is still considered as an active volcano.  One day it will awaken again.  If it does, then you can have a birds-eye view from the webcams now situated on and around Mt. Vesuvius.

Weather Bottom Line: I told you that I thought that we’d turned the corner on the excessive heat and it would seem that we’re getting a little more evidence that there is a seasonal change coming.  Now, I’m not saying that we won’t get to 90 degrees again this year, but I am saying that the upper 90s are probably gone as well as the extreme humidity.  When we do get to 90, which we may this weekend, it won’t be so dog gone humid.  As it stands, we have a cold front coming through on Wednesday afternoon or evening followed by a secondary push of Canadian air.  That means that the latter part of the week we may see highs only in the low to mid 80s as we enjoy the front side of the Canadian high pressure system dropping down.  Our mornings will be in the mid to upper 50′s.  When the high drifts off to the east for the weekend, then we get a return flow and warm back up.  It’s a nice break and an indication that the times they are a changin’.

US Army Meets Its Match in World War II March 18, 2010

Even Bombers Have Limitations

An Unstoppable Invader Came to Cercola, Italy

On This Date in History:   In 1943, the Allies began the attack on what Winston Churchill called the “soft underbelly of Europe.”   It started with the invasion of Sicily in July.   By September, allied troops crossed the straight of Messina to land on the “toe” of Italy.   The American 8th Army bulled its way through Calabria with other yankee troops moving in near Salerno.  Canadian forces landed near Reggio Calabria and faced light opposition.  The Canucks took advantage and rapidly moved inland in about two weeks and secured Potenza, which is about 50 miles east of Salerno.  Now, the Italians had had enough of Mussolini and of the war and so they finally got rid of Il Duce and also unconditionally surrendered.  Their German allies quickly disarmed all of the Italian forces that they could find and decided to make a slow, fighting withdrawl from the peninsula to the North.  So, in January 1944, the allies came up with a plan.

Vesuvius Did to the B-25s What the Germans Could Not

It involved another amphibious landing at Anzio, which is along the coast about 30 miles South of Rome.  It was also about 45 miles behind the German lines.  It so surprised the Germans that the allies landed with no resistance.  That surprised the American commander.  Now, back in September 1943, the Canadians took advantage of a similar situation and moved rapidly inland.  But, Maj. General John P. Lucas headed the American landing and his orders were a bit vague.  He was to draw as much of the enemy fire from the frontlines to his south and prepare a defensive position.  Part of that included gaining control of the Alban Hills which were within easy reach with such limited resistance.  But, Lucas apparently took note of the part of preparing a defensive postion.  Instead of exploiting the opportunity to advance, he took a slow, defensive posture.  That allowed the Germans to react and the soldiers ended up with a long tough fight over land that might otherwise have been taken largely uncontested. 

Vesuvius Still Blowing Its Top on Mar 23 1944

But, as it turns out, the Germans may not have been the most prohibitive foe that the allies faced.  Because, on this date in 1944, Mount Vesuvius awakened for an eruption that lasted 5 days.  So fearsome was the volcano known for its burial of Pompeii that the USS Philadelphia retreated for the only time during its 8 years in service.   But, that was a ship at sea and it was able to flee rather easily.  Forces on the ground weren’t so lucky.  By March 23, most of the 340th Bombardment Groups B-25 Mitchells were covered in hot ash that burned the control surfaces  and melted or glazed the plexiglass.   A few planes were so weighted down that they tipped on their tails.  Somewhere between 78 and 88 planes were destroyed, which was more than the 340th suffered in a Luftwaffe attack in Corsica 3 months later.   There were no deaths or major casualties at the Pompeii airfield but, despite the best efforts of the 12th Air Force, the aircraft were out of commission for some time.   The 340th wasn’t the only group affected as several bomber and fighter groups had to deal with Mount Vesuvius as did the ground troops.  Presumably, Vesuvius caused problems for the Germans too as an equal opportunity nemesis. 

Vesuvius Left Quite an Impression with the US Air Corps

Other air military operations were affected greatly such as  the 57th Fighter Group at Cercola, Itlay.  The general population had more hardship brought on top of that brought on by warfare.  Ash covered gardens and homes all the way from Vesuvius to Salerno and many civilians were homeless.  Lava covered many roads and caused great disruption.   Germany eventually surrendered and the Americans eventually got the bomb that brought the war to a close.  But, no army on earth can stand against Mother Nature.  Hurricanes, tornados, floods and earthquakes don’t care which side you are on and will devastate the mightest of armed forces.  And Mount Vesuvius still stands as the unconquered champion of the Italian peninsula, ready to awaken in an angry fit to vanquish all potential foes.  Keep in mind, that the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius during World War II was the last time the mountain came alive.  Seems like its due.   Check out these photos from Mt. Vesuvius Mar 18-23 1944.

NAM Snow Total by 8AM Sunday

Weather Bottom Line:  First off, beware…the “S” word is still in the dictionary.  Now,  I’m sure that some published or broadcast forecasts made some mention that the clouds on Wednesday just didn’t cooperate.   The truth is that they amazingly behaved exactly like the models said that they would.  We were right on the fringe of the clouds deck almost all day.  My guess is that we had a high deck over the low deck.  Late in the day,  the high clouds thinned out and the sun did a job on the low deck with Louisville breaking out in some sunshine by about 5 pm.  Otherwise, the day was as I warned about and that was with clouds and mid 50′s.  It was not until the sun came out that we nudged over 60.  Now, that will move out and look for sunshine for Thursday and Friday with highs generally in the mid 60′s, possibly some upper 60′s on Friday for some.  Saturday just about everyone will be in the mid to upper 60′s with the exception being those who tickle 70.  That sets the stage for rain with perhaps t’storms on Saturday night. 

GFS Snow Total Sunday 8AM

Now, I mentioned it a few days ago and were getting closer to it. I know that most forecasts call for highs in the 40′s or 50′s on Sunday.  But,  from where I sit, we may not get out of the 30′s.  And both the GFS and NAM have snow falling in the wake of the front on Sunday morning.  Both feature the most significant snowfall to our east…like Lexington.  But, its not out of the question for snow around here early Sunday morning…which may make for an interesting drive to church.  I doubt if it will be too troublesome though because the ground will be warm and it probably won’t be as extensive as the GFS is saying, which is almost two inches.  But, it’s there…after all…Spring just starts on Saturday so its not unheard of.  Monday will be cloudy and in the low to mid 40′s before the sun returns and warms things up pretty quickly for the rest of the week.  This should be interesting to see how it shakes out.