In addition to clouds of ash and rock came a heat wave of almost 900 degrees Fahrenheit (482 degrees Celsius). On the other side of the mountain at the Bay of Naples, the seismic storm travelled to Herculaneum. Next, we'll learn what happened to Pompeii and Herculaneum that gave Vesuvius its notable reputation. Given its potential, Vesuvius could endanger more than 3 million people and wipe out the city of Naples. To summarize, if Mount Vesuvius erupts today, it wouldn't be a pretty picture. Topping it off, scientists expect that the next eruption will be an incredibly forceful explosion, termed plinean, marked by flying rock and ash at speeds of up to almost 100 miles per hour (160 kph). That's a lot of magma - Kilaeua Volcano is probably the most active volcano in the world, with 34 eruptions since 1952, but compared to Vesuvius, which has erupted around 30 times since 79 A.D. For starters, Mount Vesuvius sits on top of a layer of magma deep in the earth that measures 154 square miles (400 square kilometers). New research has shown that the mountain probably will not act as kindly next time. The last time Vesuvius activated was in 1944, causing minor damage and killing 26 people. Experts warn that emergency plans should also include nearby Naples since an explosion could send dangerous burning ash and pumice as far as 12 miles (20 kilometers). Beginning in 2004, the government also set up a program to pay people $46,000 (30,000E) to relocate outside of the zone - though it has had relatively few takers. Because of the imminent - and unpredictable - threat, the Italian government has devised an evacuation plan to clear out the red zone 72 hours ahead of an impending eruption.

Directly in the line of fire, the 9-mile (12-kilometer) radius of people stand little chance of survival when Vesuvius explodes again. The red zone denotes the populated area that would bear the brunt of an eruption.

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