Volcan Piton de la Fournaise: Lave sur les Routes de La Réunion

Mayon Volcano spews thick, dark ash cloud WATCH: Mayon Volcano in Albay exhibited a minor strombolian activity past 5 pm Saturday, May 2, generating heavy pyroclastic density currents that triggered a massive ash cloud and ashfall, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology reports. As of 6 pm, residents from Guinobatan report that heavy ashfall had caused zero visibility, rendering local roads impassable. Mayon has been under Alert Level 3 since January. | Videos courtesy of Keith M

The eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79 took nearly 24 hours, enough time to flee if you recognised the danger. But the towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum, and lots of the people living in them, were lost during the event. In order: 1. Ash and pumice rained down (midday) – P1 2. Roofs caved in (afternoon) – P1 3. Herculaneum wiped out (early morning of second day) – P2 4. Pompeii hit by pyroclastic surge (just before dawn) – P2 Some ran, some hid, and some thought it would pass. And their decisions on t