Question

In the late summer or autumn of 79 AD, Mount Vesuvius violently spewed forth a deadly cloud of super-heated tephra and gases to a height of 33 km (21 mi), ejecting molten rock, pulverized pumice, and hot ash at 1.5 million tons per second, ultimately releasing 100,000 times the thermal energy of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The event gives its name to the Vesuvian type of volcanic eruption, characterized by eruption columns of hot gases and ash exploding into the stratosphere. From what you've learned, This event most likely occurred near which type of plate boundary?

Options:
a) Divergent plate boundary
b) Convergent plate boundary
c) Transform plate boundary
d) Hotspot plate boundary

Answer 1

The eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD most likely occurred near a convergent plate boundary, where two tectonic plates collide and one plate is forced beneath the other. This type of volcanic eruption is known as a Vesuvian type, characterized by explosive eruptions and the release of large amounts of ash and gases.

Step-by-step explanation:

The eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD most likely occurred near a convergent plate boundary. Convergent plate boundaries are formed when two tectonic plates collide, causing one plate to be forced beneath the other. In the case of Mount Vesuvius, it is located near the subduction zone between the African Plate and the Eurasian Plate.

This convergent boundary creates a zone of intense volcanic activity, as the subducting plate is forced deep into the Earth's mantle, causing melting and magma to rise to the surface. This type of volcanic eruption is known as a Vesuvian type, characterized by explosive eruptions and the release of large amounts of ash and gases.

The violent eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD buried the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum under layers of ash and pyroclastic flow. This event had a devastating impact on the surrounding area, resulting in the loss of thousands of lives and the preservation of these cities under the ash.