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Santorini Volcano Eruption
197 BC. Eruption of the volcano.
19 AD. Eruption of the volcano.
46 AD. Eruption of the volcano
726 AD. Eruption of the volcano.
1570 or 1573 AD. Eruption of the volcano.
1650 AD. Eruption of the volcano (26th Sept - 6 Dec)
1707 AD. Eruption of the volcano (23rd May - 17th Jan 1708
1866-1870 AD Eruption of the volcano.
1925 AD 11th Aug - 1926 AD 21st May. Eruption of the volcano
1928 AD. Eruption of the volcano (23rd Jan - 17th Mar)
1939 AD End Aug - 1941 Beg July. Eruption of the volcano
1950 AD. Eruption of the volcano (10th Jan - 2nd Feb)
Santorini is essentially what remains of an enormous volcanic explosion, destroying the earliest settlements on what was
formerly a single island, and leading to the creation of the current geological caldera.
Its spectacular physical beauty, along with a dynamic nightlife, have made the island one of Europe's tourist hot spots.
A giant central lagoon, more or less rectangular, and measuring about 12 km by 7 km (8 mi by 4 mi), is surrounded by 300 m
(984 ft) high steep cliffs on three sides. The island slopes downward from the cliffs to the surrounding Aegean Sea. On the
fourth side, the lagoon is separated from the sea by another much smaller island called Therasia; the lagoon merges with the
sea in two places, in the northwest and southwest. The water in the centre of the lagoon is nearly 400 m (1300 ft) deep, thus
making it a safe harbour for all kinds of shipping. The island's harbours are all in the lagoon and there are no ports on the outer
perimeter of the island, and the capital, Fira, clings to the top of the cliff looking down on the lagoon. The volcanic rocks present
from the prior eruptions feature olivine and have a notably small presence of hornblende.
It is the most active volcanic centre in the South Aegean Volcanic Arc, though what remains today is chiefly a water-filled caldera.
Today an island which can be described as a paradise for tourists and archaeologists. |
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