Categories > Celebrities > 30 Seconds to Mars > The Volcanologist
Its now late December. In fact, its December 25th. It is Christmas Day. Vesuvius is taking its time, even waiting for the holidays. But we know something will happen soon. Dannielle had been measuring the newly developed harmonic tremors for just over a week. We had closed the area weeks earlier - despite some complaints from tourists - and changed the volcano alert to a RED - WARNING.
Its late at night when the show starts. Luke is on duty when he wakes me "Hey Shan, its just started. You haven't missed anything" before waking Dannielle too.
Luke had been making notes of the eruption from the start: Time - 11:32pm. He had set up the video camera too.
A column of grey smoke and ash extends high into the air. It is the highest column of smoke we have ever seen. Occassionally, it glows red and orange in the dark. We can't see very well from this distance, even with binoculars, but we know that high volumns of rock and possibly lava bombs are raining down on Pompeii with some real force.
This time, we knew no-one would die. While we cannot force people to leave their homes, we can stop them entering a closed area - such as one of the National Parks - if there is a high volcanic threat.
The eruption continues like this well into the morning. It doesn't change much. We can see the mountain spitting out some lava. Plinian eruptions are violent, but more so for their explosive gases and ash. We can hear the loud explosions even from this distance.
I was having texts from Jared. It was daytime in America, and they had probably heard or seen it on the news. 'Shan r u ok? Plz call or txt'. Just as I start texting back, there's another loud explosion, which startles us as something big happens. Part of the mountain crumbles down the side and towards Pompeii. Its not a big landslide, but we know that the mountain has now been damaged. We won't know the full extent until we go back in the helicopter.
I completely forget about that text. My phone rings, but without thinking to look at the caller ID, I send the call to voicemail.
Vesuvius gives its final, most dreaded attack. The pyroclastic flow. The ash has been falling on Pompeii for almost 26 hours. There is no doubt that it has covered everything in a thick layer of grey. And then the hot cloud hits it at speeds reaching 450mph. It hugs the ground as it speeds down the mountainside, reaching lethal temperatures of 1000 degrees Celsius, coating everything in a layer of plaster. When its over, we know that Pompeii has once again been completely buried.
I had put my phone on silent and put it on the floor. It vibrates by my feet. With the main show over, I look at the caller ID. I had more than 20 missed calls from Jared, a few texts, a few voicemails, and here he was calling again. Damn the boy is persistent.
"Hello?"
"SHANNON! WHAT THE HELL?!"
"Jared, jeez calm down. What's wrong?"
"DO NOT TELL ME TO BE CALM! ME AND MOM HAVE BEEN WORRIED SICK, YOU KNOW THAT?!"
"Jared, I told you I'd be safe. And stop yelling. What's the matter?"
He seems to calm down. He is angry with me for not answering his calls, but he seems more upset if anything. He is in hysterics.
"You know safety means nothing when you're working with something dangerous Shannon. Me and Mom have been watching on the news. Some scientist was explaining on a home made video. That pycastic thing..." I smile when he pronounces it wrong, but this time I don't correct him. It might make him feel worse. "... that deadly gas thing. They've reported 3 people dead in the area. We knew you'd close the area to the public, but we thought it was you guys! And when you didn't answer any calls..."
I suddenly feel guilty. My brother and mom thought I had died? For real? Jared was right, he knew we had to close the area. But when it was announced that 3 were dead, he feared the worst... Wait, what?!
I look at Dannielle and Luke. They know I'm having an earful from my younger brother. "There are 3 people dead in the area?!" They look at me, wondering how and why.
"Yes. At least I can call Mom now and tell her that you are not one of them!" He pauses for a few minutes and takes a few deep breaths to calm himself down again. "I'll speak to you soon." The line goes dead.
Of course I feel bad. I hadn't even wished him a happy birthday. I couldn't call or text now, while he was in a bad mood with me. But not doing so would make him think I'd forgotten. I'll have to do it later, when he calms down. When I get home, he's going to tear shreds out of me.
Dannielle was talking on her phone too. She hangs up and looks at us.
"Its confirmed. There are 3 bodies being examined. They were tourists. They went into the closed area from the other side of the mountain, so were untouched by the pyroclast. Their bodies were collected, but they can't find the cause of death, so they're asking us for help."
On the way to the hospital morgue, I send a text message: "I am so sorry 4 worrying u both. Happy bday J."
Its late at night when the show starts. Luke is on duty when he wakes me "Hey Shan, its just started. You haven't missed anything" before waking Dannielle too.
Luke had been making notes of the eruption from the start: Time - 11:32pm. He had set up the video camera too.
A column of grey smoke and ash extends high into the air. It is the highest column of smoke we have ever seen. Occassionally, it glows red and orange in the dark. We can't see very well from this distance, even with binoculars, but we know that high volumns of rock and possibly lava bombs are raining down on Pompeii with some real force.
This time, we knew no-one would die. While we cannot force people to leave their homes, we can stop them entering a closed area - such as one of the National Parks - if there is a high volcanic threat.
The eruption continues like this well into the morning. It doesn't change much. We can see the mountain spitting out some lava. Plinian eruptions are violent, but more so for their explosive gases and ash. We can hear the loud explosions even from this distance.
I was having texts from Jared. It was daytime in America, and they had probably heard or seen it on the news. 'Shan r u ok? Plz call or txt'. Just as I start texting back, there's another loud explosion, which startles us as something big happens. Part of the mountain crumbles down the side and towards Pompeii. Its not a big landslide, but we know that the mountain has now been damaged. We won't know the full extent until we go back in the helicopter.
I completely forget about that text. My phone rings, but without thinking to look at the caller ID, I send the call to voicemail.
Vesuvius gives its final, most dreaded attack. The pyroclastic flow. The ash has been falling on Pompeii for almost 26 hours. There is no doubt that it has covered everything in a thick layer of grey. And then the hot cloud hits it at speeds reaching 450mph. It hugs the ground as it speeds down the mountainside, reaching lethal temperatures of 1000 degrees Celsius, coating everything in a layer of plaster. When its over, we know that Pompeii has once again been completely buried.
I had put my phone on silent and put it on the floor. It vibrates by my feet. With the main show over, I look at the caller ID. I had more than 20 missed calls from Jared, a few texts, a few voicemails, and here he was calling again. Damn the boy is persistent.
"Hello?"
"SHANNON! WHAT THE HELL?!"
"Jared, jeez calm down. What's wrong?"
"DO NOT TELL ME TO BE CALM! ME AND MOM HAVE BEEN WORRIED SICK, YOU KNOW THAT?!"
"Jared, I told you I'd be safe. And stop yelling. What's the matter?"
He seems to calm down. He is angry with me for not answering his calls, but he seems more upset if anything. He is in hysterics.
"You know safety means nothing when you're working with something dangerous Shannon. Me and Mom have been watching on the news. Some scientist was explaining on a home made video. That pycastic thing..." I smile when he pronounces it wrong, but this time I don't correct him. It might make him feel worse. "... that deadly gas thing. They've reported 3 people dead in the area. We knew you'd close the area to the public, but we thought it was you guys! And when you didn't answer any calls..."
I suddenly feel guilty. My brother and mom thought I had died? For real? Jared was right, he knew we had to close the area. But when it was announced that 3 were dead, he feared the worst... Wait, what?!
I look at Dannielle and Luke. They know I'm having an earful from my younger brother. "There are 3 people dead in the area?!" They look at me, wondering how and why.
"Yes. At least I can call Mom now and tell her that you are not one of them!" He pauses for a few minutes and takes a few deep breaths to calm himself down again. "I'll speak to you soon." The line goes dead.
Of course I feel bad. I hadn't even wished him a happy birthday. I couldn't call or text now, while he was in a bad mood with me. But not doing so would make him think I'd forgotten. I'll have to do it later, when he calms down. When I get home, he's going to tear shreds out of me.
Dannielle was talking on her phone too. She hangs up and looks at us.
"Its confirmed. There are 3 bodies being examined. They were tourists. They went into the closed area from the other side of the mountain, so were untouched by the pyroclast. Their bodies were collected, but they can't find the cause of death, so they're asking us for help."
On the way to the hospital morgue, I send a text message: "I am so sorry 4 worrying u both. Happy bday J."
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