How much more energy did the eruption that buried Pompeii release compared to the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima?
Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD with the force of 100,000 Hiroshima bombs, instantly burying Pompeii and killing thousands.
When Mount Vesuvius erupted, it sent a column of ash and gas 33 kilometers high into the sky. The volcano unleashed pyroclastic flows—superheated avalanches of ash and gas—that raced across the land at speeds over 160 kilometers per hour, reaching temperatures of 300 to 500°C. These flows killed inhabitants instantly, vaporizing soft tissue with extreme heat. The eruption buried Pompeii and nearby Herculaneum under 4 to 6 meters of volcanic ash and rock, preserving the cities in a time capsule for nearly 1,700 years.
Nerd Mode
The eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD is classified as a Plinian eruption, named after Pliny the Younger, who witnessed and documented the catastrophic event. Modern volcanologists estimate the eruption released thermal energy equivalent to approximately 100,000 atomic bombs of the Hiroshima-Nagasaki type. The column of superheated rock and gas penetrated the stratosphere, reaching an altitude of about 33 kilometers.The most lethal phase involved pyroclastic density currents—ground-hugging avalanches of hot ash and gas that traveled at speeds exceeding 160 kilometers per hour. These flows reached temperatures between 300°C and 500°C. Research published in PLOS ONE indicates that victims died instantly from thermal shock rather than suffocation, as the extreme heat vaporized their soft tissues in seconds.Pompeii and Herculaneum were buried under 4 to 6 meters of tephra and volcanic ash, which sealed the cities in an archaeological time capsule. They remained hidden for nearly 1,700 years until their accidental rediscovery in 1748. Today, Mount Vesuvius remains one of the world's most dangerous volcanoes, primarily because approximately 3 million people live in close proximity to its slopes.
Verified Fact
FP-0003842 · Feb 18, 2026