Which Italian volcano buried Pompeii and Herculaneum during its eruption in AD 79?

Mount Vesuvius buried Pompeii and Herculaneum during its eruption in AD 79.

The eruption released pumice, ash, and hot pyroclastic flows that covered settlements around the Bay of Naples. Pliny the Younger described the eruption and the death of his uncle, Pliny the Elder, in letters that remain important historical evidence.

Pompeii was not simply destroyed by lava. Much of the city was buried by falling pumice and ash before later pyroclastic surges overwhelmed it. Herculaneum was covered by hotter deposits and became deeply entombed.

Vesuvius is sometimes confused with Mount Etna, Sicily’s famous volcano. Vesuvius is on the Italian mainland, near Naples, and remains one of the most closely monitored volcanoes in Europe.