Mount Vesuvius, A Look at a Sleeping Giant, The Eruption of 79 AD

It has been my privilege to travel to many interesting places in this world.  My first trip abroad was to Italy and it included a fleeting glimpse of the culprit of one of the most flagrant geological events in history, Mount Vesuvius and the eruption of 79 AD. Even today, I remember the respect for nature that enveloped me as I gazed upon this beautiful, powerful and incredibly dangerous volcano.

That day, I was scheduled to visit Capri, yet another awe-inspiring destination. The trip was filled with wonders the likes of the Blue Grotto and the ruins of the Villas of Tiberius. The sites of interest on this island cannot be properly described and we didn’t have anywhere near the time to discover all that Capri had to offer. We were on a day trip from Rome and scheduled for the tourist highlights. To say the highlights were spectacular would be an understatement.  I would love to go back and experience Capri in total. It was beyond belief beautiful!

I must admit that even though I visited a paradise that day, I had a bit of frustration at not being able to take in the archeological digs at Pompeii and Herculaneum. Not to mention the Phlegraean Fields with its geological and archeological wonders. One visit to Campania will never be able to cover all it has to offer, unless of course the visit is close to a lifetime.

Temple of Serapis, part of an ancient Roman marketplace located near Pozzuoli, Italy. This temple, in an area known as Campi Flegrei (Phlegraean Fields) shows aspects of Bradyseism, a gradual uplift or descent of the earth surface. 

Mount Vesuvius is a stratovolcano also known as a composite volcano, which means it has a large and steep cone and is built up of alternating layers of lava, tephra, pumice and volcanic ash.  It is capable of both lava and pyroclastic flows and can produce Plinian eruptions. It is located at the convergent boundary where the African tectonic plate is being subducted beneath the Eurasian tectonic plate. It is the only active volcano on the European mainland. 

Formed within a much larger ancient and extinct volcano known as Mount Somma which collapsed approximately seventeen thousand years ago, Mount Vesuvius is considered to be very much active. Known as Somma-Vesuvius, this geological wonder became part of Italy's national park system in 1995.

Painting of Mount Vesuvius from 1858

The 79 AD eruption of Mount Vesuvius was Plinian in nature, named after Pliny the Younger, an author and magistrate. His uncle, Pliny the Elder perished in the eruption while attempting a rescue mission to Stabiae. Pliny the Younger viewed the entire destruction from Misenum.  His writings on the events that took place during the eruption and the accurate description he supplied of the actual volcanic blast earned him the distinction of having the explosive type of volcanic activity named after him. Plinian eruptions, like Mount St. Helens in 1980, produce a huge explosion of gas and pumice that rises high into the stratosphere. As Pliny described in his letter to Cornelius Tacitus:

'Its general appearance can best be expressed as being like an umbrella pine, for it rose to a great height on a sort of trunk and then split off into branches.' 

This type of volcanic activity often produces pyroclastic flows and surges, which allows gas and rock to flow at extreme speeds. The effects are fast and disastrous. The people of Pompeii, Herculaneum and Stabiae had practically no chance to run from its wrath.   

View of Vesuvius from the ruins of ancient Pompeii

Next week's post will continue the story of Mount Vesuvius!

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All About Diamonds!

Arkansas’s Crater of Diamonds State Park recently revealed yet another natural wonder. It took barely 10 minutes for Michael Dettlaff to find a 5.16 carat diamond without even digging for it.  The diamond was just sitting there waiting for him. It’s a tradition for the discoverer to name their find, and the 12 year old from North Carolina chose ‘God’s Glory Diamond’ for the honey brown colored stone.

It has been my wish for quite some time to visit this unique park and try my hand at some prospecting. No matter what the find, you can keep it!   White, yellow and brown diamonds are discovered consistently at the park. Usually, the diamonds are the size of a match head, enough to give you a wonderful souvenir of a fun trip. But every once in a while, a historic flawless diamond with enough carats to be cut into a gemstone will be discovered.  You can also find other semi-precious stones and minerals there if you are lucky!

I just received a really fun email message from Craters of Diamond State Park regarding this recent find. The news has gone viral and international. You got to love that! So why all the interest?

Composed of pure carbon and rated a perfect 10 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness, the diamond is a perfect gem for setting in jewelry. Because of its durability it has become the traditional gemstone for engagement rings, adding all the more to its romance factor. But the diamond isn't just a pretty face. Rough diamonds are also used for drilling and other industrial purposes. 

The diamond's origin comes from deep within the mantle of the earth, its crystallized carbon makeup brought about by the extreme heat and pressure found there. Diamonds are usually discovered in areas where volcanic vents  brought them nearer to the earth's surface millions of years ago. 

In the case of Crater of Diamonds State Park, the explosion caused by the trip to the surface formed a crater, with most of the materials falling back into the vent. This caused a perfect protection for these hardy gems. With time, erosion and weathering made the diamonds available to us again. 

Diamonds are quite beautiful in their natural state. Having an oily surface, they are translucent in nature, which means you can see into them, but not through them. Diamonds come in many colors and different grades, from flawed to flawless. When cut, these fiery gemstones can truly be a masterpiece of beauty.

Gemstones always seem to have an interesting story to tell, and diamonds more than most. The mystique that began in ancient times and continues to today portrays the diamond as a purveyor of mystery and romance. From the classic movie, To Catch a Thief to recent headlines regarding a rash of jewelry theft at Cannes, the interest in diamonds never seems to cease.  

One diamond that will always be a source of amazement is the extraordinary Hope Diamond.  The history of this incredible deep blue gemstone couldn't possibly be outdone by the best of storytellers. From its origin in India to Harry Winston's donation, this beautiful stone has never lost its intrigue.

In 1958, Harry Winston donated the Hope Diamond to The Smithsonian Institution. Did you know that he mailed this extraordinary natural wonder by registered first class mail? The Hope Diamond was about to take on another chapter, that of the most popular exhibit in the history of the museum. I couldn't imagine visiting the Smithsonian without re-visiting the Hope Diamond. 

The Smithsonian celebrated the 50th anniversary of the donation in a big way. The story of the creation of a temporary setting is told on the Smithsonian Channel. The Embracing Hope was featured at the museum from November, 2010 until the historic setting was restored in January, 2012.

The Mystery of the Hope Diamond can be seen through a special video prepared for the event and shown on the Smithsonian Channel.  Did you know that under ultra-violet light, the Hope Diamond turns a red-orange phosphorescence? See why at the Smithsonian Channel. 

This makes two places that I have to visit in the near future. Very different in their scope but oh so interesting to those of us who love everything geology and gemology!  So, whether you like diamonds as the extraordinary gemstones that they are or you look at them as a phenomenal gift of nature, check out Washington D.C.'s Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History and Arkansas's Crater of Diamonds State Park.   

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