Santorini volcano erupts more often when sea level falls, study reveals

·

A comparative study on the Greek island of Santorini by a team of scientists from among others, the University of Oxford and University of London, revealed that when the sea level falls more than 40 metres below the present-day level, a volcanic eruption is triggered.

The team observed the activity of the volcano and compared it with the sea levels recorded over the past 360,000 years. The team also found that when the sea level is higher, the volcano becomes quiet.

Santorini, a beautiful island in the southern Aegean Sea, is the remnant of a volcanic caldera. The island, part of an archipelago, was the site of one of the largest volcanic eruptions in recorded history – the Minoan eruption that occurred around 3,600 years ago.

Although it is now a water-filled caldera (a hollow which occurs when a volcano erupts and then collapses), Santorini is still the most active volcanic centre in the South Aegean Volcanic Arc.

With varying degrees of explosivity, Santorini has erupted many times. According to Sputnik, there have been at least 12 large explosive eruptions, of which around four were caldera-forming.

Santorini volcano.

Historians suggest that the entire volcano used to be above water, but a violent eruption around 1600 BC caused the volcano to cave in partially and led to the formation of a lagoon.

To understand the effect sea levels have on volcanic eruptions, the team designed a computer-simulated version of Santorini’s magma chamber. It sits about 4km beneath the volcano’s surface.

Inside the simulation, the crust above the magma chamber fragmented whenever the sea level dropped at least 40 metres below.

“That allows the magma that’s stored under the volcano to move up through these fractures and make its way to the surface,” study co-author Christopher Satow, a physical geographer at Oxford Brookes University in England, said.

The magma chamber’s simulation collected data that suggested that it should take about 13,000 years for the cracks to reach the surface and awaken the volcano. 

Source: Sputnik.

Advertisement

Share:

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TGH

By subscribing you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Advertisement

Latest News

Mother’s Day for Greek Australians: A time for love, memory and reflection

The roots of Mother’s Day can be traced back to Ancient Greek and Roman festivals which honoured the mother goddesses Rhea and Cybele.

Greek olive oil poised for growth in booming Australian market

A study by the Economic and Commercial Affairs Office of the Greek Consulate in Sydney highlights strong opportunities for Greek olive oil.

The Greek alphabet may be older than first thought

Associate Professor Willemijn Waal, with the help of a Vici grant, aims to explore whether the alphabet could be several centuries older.

Evangelos Demos to give seminar on the geopolitics of Greek foreign policy

Evangelos Demos is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Sydney under the supervision of Professor Vrasidas Karalis.

Niki Louca shares her recipe for Daktylies (Cypriot-style bread)

Niki Louca from My Greek Kitchen shares her favourite recipe for Daktylies (Cypriot-style bread) with The Greek Herald.

You May Also Like

Andriana Petrakis to represent Australia at Virtus World Tennis Championships

Australia’s top tennis players with an intellectual impairment, including Andriana Petrakis, travel for the Virtus World Tennis Championships.

Axel Sidaros has jail sentence reduced again as another charge is dismissed

Axel Sidaros could be out of jail by the middle of next year, after he successfully argued for another charge against him to be dropped.

Pharos Alliance becomes a legal entity and launches its inaugural Symposium

Pharos Alliance is now a registered not-for-profit organisation, dedicated to the promotion, maintenance and expansion of Greek.