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Deadly Shadow of Vesuvius
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Program Overview
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NOVA follows scientists' efforts to predict the future of Mt.
Vesuvius by monitoring current behavior and reconstructing past
eruptions.
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Scientists monitor temperature changes, volcanic gases, seismic
activity, and apparent "ground uplifts" in the volcano and
nearby fields to detect warning signs of a coming eruption.
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Archeologists and geologists investigate the A.D. 79 eruption
that devastated Pompeii. By comparing an eyewitness
account—known as the Pliny letters—to the 1980 Mt.
St. Helens eruption, examining remains of victims, and analyzing
rock deposits, they conclude that the A.D. 79 eruption was most
likely an explosive eruption rather than a quiet outflow.
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Scientists combine data to create a computer animation of the
A.D. 79 eruption. Actual video footage captures the eruption of
1944.
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A team of geophysicists map the size, location, and condition of
Mt. Vesuvius's magma chamber. The data suggests that the
medium-size chamber is blocked by a plug.
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