Plinian eruption
Appearance
English
[edit]Etymology
[edit]Named for the description given by Pliny the Younger of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D., which has been taken as archetypical of this type of eruption.
Noun
[edit]Plinian eruption (plural Plinian eruptions)
- (volcanology) A type of volcanic eruption marked by the ejection of large columns of volcanic debris and gases into the stratosphere; particularly large amounts of pumice, caused by a very powerful, gas-driven eruption.
- Synonym: Vesuvian eruption