Pompeii redux?

Pompeii could be doomed again, but this time by a tsunami, or gigantic sea wave, rather than a volcano. A research paper to be published next month will warn that Pompeii, along with much of Naples and other nearby towns, may be in mortal danger.

Scientists have long feared a serious eruption by Vesuvius, which buried the ancient city of Pompeii in AD79. It last exploded in 1944 and records show there have seldom been more than a few decades between eruptions.

The paper will warn, however, that eruption is not the only hazard. The rocky slopes of Vesuvius have become increasingly unstable and the entire seaward side of the mountain is at risk of sliding into the Mediterranean. If that happens, billions of tons of rock hitting the water could generate an immense tsunami that would devastate the Italian coast and islands.

Alfonsa Milia, of the marine geology institute of Naples, fears that such a collapse may be overdue. In the paper, which will appear in the Journal of the Geological Society of London, he says this could happen without warning — unlike eruptions, which are often preceded by several days of earthquakes.

Posted by David on January 26, 2003 5:46 PM