Is Vesuvius active today?
Active does not mean erupting
The two terms are confused every day. An active volcano is one that can still erupt; an erupting volcano is one that is erupting now. Vesuvius belongs to the first category, not the second, and has been that way since March 1944, when the last eruption ended. Since then, what’s been recorded is low-level seismic activity and fumarole activity.
That smoke you see from the crater.
It’s the question we get most often, often with a photo attached. The steam rising from the cracks in the walls are fumaroles: gaseous emissions that normally accompany the quiet phase. They are not a sign of an imminent eruption and are not a recent development. Those who climb to the edge see them up close, and it’s one of the few things that move up there—the rest is rock. What exactly you see from above is in what you can see from the crater.
What you don’t see—and what many look for—is lava. There isn’t any: no flow, no lava lake, no red glow. If you have in mind images of Hawaiian volcanoes, those don’t apply here.
Who looks at it, and for how long
The Vesuvius Observatory was founded in 1841, the first in the world dedicated to a volcano, and today it’s part of the INGV. Monitoring is continuous. This is something that seems obvious to those who live here but not to visitors: this mountain has been watched for almost two centuries, with tools that didn’t exist two centuries ago. No eruption would happen without measurable precursors, and it’s precisely on this that the evacuation plan for the red zone is based, which we discuss in a new eruption of Vesuvius.
Is climbing an active volcano sensible?
The Gran Cono trail is within a national park, with timed entry slots, and is closed when conditions do not allow it. The practical reasons for closure we see are meteorological: wind, storms, snow. The real risk of a day on Vesuvius is not the volcano, but the slippery ground and the sun with no shade. The honest page is is it safe to climb Mount Vesuvius.
1944, which here is not distant history
The last eruption destroyed much of San Sebastiano al Vesuvio and Massa di Somma, caused around 26 deaths, and wrecked dozens of Allied B-25 bombers parked at the nearby airfield. It also destroyed the funicular mentioned in the song, which was never rebuilt. Those looking for the full account can find it in the last eruption of Vesuvius.
If you’re interested in understanding the difference between one rock and another while you’re up there, climb with a volcanological guide from the park. Fumaroles seen up close with someone explaining them are a different experience from just photographing them.
Climb with a volcanological guide.
The Vesuvius Easy Tour departs from Naples or Pompeii by minibus, in a small group, and includes a volcanological guide to the park as well as a skip-the-line ticket.
Frequently asked questions
Is Vesuvius still active?
Yes. It is an active volcano in a phase of quiescence since 1944: low-level seismicity and fumaroles, no ongoing eruption.
Why is smoke coming from the crater?
These are the fumaroles, steam emissions from the crater walls. They are part of the normal dormant phase and do not indicate an imminent eruption.
Who monitors Mount Vesuvius?
The Vesuvius Observatory, founded in 1841 and now part of the INGV: it’s the oldest volcanological observatory in the world, and monitoring is continuous.
Is it dangerous to climb an active volcano?
The real risks of the climb are the lapilli surface and exposure to sun and wind, not volcanic activity. We discuss this in is it safe to climb.