Shake-up on Pompeii’s epic demise

Provided by the Art Institute of Chicago, ‘The Eruption of Vesuvius’ is an 18th-century depiction of the catastrophe by Pierre-Jacques Volaire. — ©2024 The New York Times Company

POMPEII was destroyed by the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79AD, entombing residents under layers of volcanic ash. But there is more to this story of an ancient Roman city’s doom.

Research published in the journal Frontiers in Earth Science last month offers proof that Pompeii was simultaneously wrecked by a massive earthquake.