Q 01/05

In what year did Mount Vesuvius bury the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum under ash?

A) 1000 AD

B) 100 BC

C) 450 AD

D) 79 AD

Answer · why

D) 79 AD

Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD and sealed Pompeii and Herculaneum under ash and pumice, which is why the two Roman cities survived so well for centuries.

Q 02/05

Which 1883 volcanic eruption produced the loudest sound ever recorded, heard thousands of miles away?

A) Santorini

B) Mount Tambora

C) Mount Pelée

D) Krakatoa

Answer · why

D) Krakatoa

The 1883 eruption of Krakatoa in Indonesia generated an immense sound wave, estimated to be 310 dB, which reportedly traveled around the world multipl...

Q 03/05

Which Washington state volcano erupted in 1980 with a massive lateral blast?

A) Mount St. Helens

B) Mount Rainier

C) Mount Hood

D) Mount Shasta

Answer · why

A) Mount St. Helens

Mount St. Helens' 1980 eruption was unique for its lateral blast, triggered by a landslide that uncorked the mountain, sending debris sideways before ...

Q 04/05

What global climate event was largely attributed to the 1815 eruption of Mount Tambora?

A) The Little Ice Age

B) The Dust Bowl

C) The Medieval Warm Period

D) The Year Without a Summer

Answer · why

D) The Year Without a Summer

The immense amount of ash and aerosols injected into the atmosphere by the 1815 Tambora eruption caused global temperatures to drop, leading to widesp...

Q 05/05

Mudflows from which Colombian volcano buried the town of Armero in November 1985?

A) Galeras

B) Nevado del Ruiz

C) Puracé

D) Cotopaxi

Answer · why

B) Nevado del Ruiz

Nevado del Ruiz's 13 November 1985 eruption melted summit ice, sending lahars down river valleys into Armero, a town hazard maps had already marked at...