The victims of Pompeii were preserved by a cloud of ash moving at three hundred miles per hour
The residents of Pompeii were not slowly buried by falling ash, but were instead instantly preserved by a superheated pyroclastic cloud traveling at three hundred miles per hour.
When Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, it released a 'nuée ardente,' a terrifying cloud of superheated gas and ash. Moving at speeds up to 300 miles per hour, this flow reached temperatures of 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit, causing near-instantaneous death for those in its path.
There's more to this story — open the app to keep reading.
Continue Reading in App
1 more paragraphs · plus a 3-question quiz