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THE 1906 ERUPTION
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This was undoubtedly the most violent eruption on Vesuvius in the 1900's. It started on 4th April 1906 with emission of lava from a fracture in the SE area at 1,200 m. above sea level. This fracture then spread downwards ending in the opening of a vent at a height of 800 metres. On April 6th another vent opened up in Cognoli di Bosco, with emission of lava flows towards SE. |
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During the night of 7th, an eruptive fracture occurred at 770 m. in the ravine of Cupaccia, and a very fluid lava flow, heading towards Terzigno, reached a height of 200 m. The following night the greatest intensity of explosions was recorded, and a strong earthquake was felt, linked to the collapse of the upper part of the cone.
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Giuseppe Mercalli (the director of the Vesuvius Observatory) at the crater after the 1906 eruption. |
The
eruption ended in the next few days with the emission of very fine ash.
After this eruption the height of the volcano had gone down from 1,335
m to 1,100 m. The fallout
deposits were mainly distributed on the E-NE side, affecting predominantly
the towns of Ottaviano and S. Giuseppe Vesuviano. |
The last phases of the 1906 were extremely violent. The following period of quiescence was one of the longest in the recent cycle of activity, lasting until July 1913.
The accumulation of volcanic ash in Naples, during the 1906 eruption.
