THE POMICI DI BASE ERUPTION (18.300 years)

The eruption of Pomici di Base was Vesuvius' first plinian eruption whose products are well recognisable. This eruption, probably the most violent Vesuvian eruption, produced a 20 km high eruptive column and a complex sequence of fallout, flow and pyroclastic surge deposits. The major fallout deposit dispersion is toward East and it is still 6.5 m. thick even at a distance of 10 km away from the volcano.

This eruption marked the first phase in the caldera formation of the Somma-Vesuvius.