ak-ua.in.ua

Santorini has been shaken by a series of earthquakes: will the Greek island erupt?

The increase in seismic activity on the volcanic island has raised concerns about a possible eruption.
Санторини потрясла серия землетрясений: ожидается ли извержение вулкана на греческом острове?

On January 29, a meeting of experts and public figures took place at the Greek Ministry for Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, focusing on the increase in seismic activity on Santorini — a volcanic island in the Aegean Sea, which curves around a submerged caldera, reports Live Science.

Experts found that the rise in seismic activity is concentrated at the northern end of the volcanic caldera. It is known that underground tremors have slightly shaken the island in recent weeks: staff at the seismic station on Santorini, under the direction of Aristotle University, recorded at least 39 minor earthquakes with a magnitude of no more than 3.5.

It should be noted that the volcanic island acquired its current appearance as a result of the Minoan eruption in 1600 BC — one of the largest eruptions in human history. Researchers also believe that this eruption may have inspired tales of the lost Atlantis.

According to researchers, the volcano has previously exhibited seismic activity, but there were no eruptions. Data from the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History's Global Volcanism Program indicate that a period of seismic activity was also observed between 2011 and 2012, which scientists attribute to the movement of magma beneath the island's surface. Studies have also shown that this seismic activity was preceded by a period of subsidence or sinking of the small island of Nea Kameni in the center of the submerged caldera.

The last known eruption of the volcano occurred here in 1950. According to researchers, this eruption created ash clouds that rose several hundred meters, along with a lava dome, but it was relatively small. For instance, the eruption in 726 AD caused the sea to boil and scattered pumice stones up to about 400 kilometers away.

Researchers note that the volcano has long been a cause for concern. In a 2024 analysis, scientists discovered that approximately half a million years ago, the volcano erupted, ejecting an astonishing 90 cubic kilometers of rock and ash.

Fortunately for local residents, scientists do not believe that the current seismic activity of the volcano could lead to such tragic consequences. According to seismologist and head of the scientific committee monitoring the Greek volcanic arc, Efthymios Lekkas, it is important to recognize that the Santorini volcano is capable of erupting extremely violently approximately every 20,000 years. At the same time, since the last such event occurred about 3,000 years ago, humanity has a sufficient amount of time in reserve.