Contrary to what most people believe, a volcano is not just the conic mountain that spits lava and ash towards the skies. In fact, this is just one of the many forms of a volcano. The general term describes any place where material(s) from the deeper parts of the planet reaches the surface.
Vesuvius is the only active volcano on the European continent and it has erupted around 35 times since the Pompeian disaster. Its latest eruption has been recorded in 1944, when 26 people died. In time, it has also been noted to give several warnings, such as poisonous hot gas, bursts of dust and ash clouds or even a bunch of slow flows of lava.
