The Activity of Mount Vesuvius in 512 AD

The activity in 512 was more or less continuous strombolian activity. This eruption was hypothesized by Alfano (1924). It may not have ever happened and is the result of a misreading of the letter that mentions the eruption of 472.

The primary textual sources for this activity are:

1 – Marcellino (Conte), Chronicon. [3]

2 – Magno Aurelio Cassiodoro Magno in a letter to King Teodorico. [3]

“a burnt ash flies in the sky, and, forming ashy clouds, it rains with ash droplets also in the provinces beyond the sea (…). It is possible to see ash rivers flowing like liquid, bringing hot sands and ( …. ) the fields grow suddenly up (the fields are covered with sand) to the top of the trees ( ….. ) and are ravished by the sudden heat”

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References:

Complete List of Vesuvian Eruptions

1 – Mount Vesuvius: 2000 years of volcanological observations

2 – Vesuvius Before the 1631 Eruption

3 – Chronology of Vesuvius’ activity from A.D. 79 to 1631 based on archeomagnetism of lavas and historical sources

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