Photo: Huge Vesuvius Eruption Buried Town 2,000 Years Before Pompeii



Small boats lie in a Naples harbor as sunlight casts a fiery glow on Vesuvius in the distance.

Recent archaeological finds show that the infamous volcano experienced a massive eruption nearly 2,000 years before the blast that buried Pompeii. The discoveries indicate that the still-active Vesuvius is capable of far worse eruptions than anything Naples' disaster planners are currently prepared for.

Photograph by David Alan Harvey/NGS


NEWS FEEDS    After installing a news reader, click on this icon to download National Geographic News's XML/RSS feed. After installing a news reader, click on this icon to download National Geographic News's XML/RSS feed.

Get our news delivered directly to your desktop—free.
How to Use XML or RSS

ADVERTISEMENT

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC'S PHOTO OF THE DAY

50 Drives of a Lifetime

National Geographic Traveler has scoured the globe for the world's most beautiful, interesting, and off-beat road trips. Dive in to get drive directions, quizzes, photos, and more.