The AMT preference items are: 1  Depletion. 2  Excess Intangible drilling costs. 3  Interest on private activity bonds. 4  Accelerated depreciation on property placed in service before 1987. 5  Exclusion of gain on qualified small business stock.
The eruption was catastrophic, lasting more than 24 hours. The eruption officially started on the morning of August 24, as molten rock and pumice began to be expelled from Mt. Vesuvius at a rate of 1.5 million tons per second. Copious amounts of rock and volcanic ash filled the atmosphere, turning day into night. It is estimated that about six inches of ash fell every hour.
On August 20, A.D. 79, Pompeii was rocked by more earth tremors, although they do not seem to have been as severe as the 62 earthquake. Springs in the area dried up. The ancient Pompeians did not recognize that these were signs of the imminent eruption of Vesuvius.