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Generalized lithostratigraphy of the intra-caldera deposits. Depth of seismic models S1–S3 with the corresponding core names, restoration, lithologic models and lithostratigraphic profiles for Websites U1595 and U1596. Black areas within the restoration column point out full restoration, and white areas point out restoration gaps. AB, acoustic basement. Credit score: Nature Geoscience (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41561-024-01392-7
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Generalized lithostratigraphy of the intra-caldera deposits. Depth of seismic models S1–S3 with the corresponding core names, restoration, lithologic models and lithostratigraphic profiles for Websites U1595 and U1596. Black areas within the restoration column point out full restoration, and white areas point out restoration gaps. AB, acoustic basement. Credit score: Nature Geoscience (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41561-024-01392-7
A world crew of scientists co-led by Dr. Steffen Kutterolf from GEOMAR Helmholtz Middle for Ocean Analysis Kiel has discovered proof of a historic submarine eruption of the Kameni volcano on Santorini for the primary time. Of their paper, revealed in the present day within the journal Nature Geoscience, they describe newly found pumice and ash deposits that assist historic data of an underwater eruption in 726 CE.
The Greek island group of Santorini, well-known for its picturesque white homes with blue roofs, will not be solely a well-liked vacationer vacation spot but additionally one of the crucial totally explored volcanic archipelagos on this planet. The islands, organized in a round sample, kind the rim of a sea-flooded caldera—the basin-shaped melancholy left by previous eruptions.
At its heart is the at the moment lively Kameni volcano, whose peaks kind the islands of Palea Kameni (Outdated Burnt Island) and Nea Kameni (New Burnt Island). The archipelago was fashioned after the devastating Late Bronze Age Minoan eruption some 3,600 years in the past, when the earlier volcano erupted huge quantities of ash and pumice and finally collapsed, creating the enduring caldera partitions of Santorini.
Nonetheless, this wasn’t the primary caldera collapse in Santorini’s historical past. “We now know of at the very least 5 such occasions throughout the final half million years,” says lead creator Dr. Jonas Preine, who accomplished his doctoral research on the Christiana-Santorini-Kolumbo volcanic subject at Universität Hamburg.
“Like different massive volcanic programs, Santorini goes by way of caldera cycles. After a really massive caldera-forming eruption, the brand new cycle is believed to start with small however frequent eruptions because the volcanic system recharges. It then continues to mature, and eruptions grow to be bigger however much less frequent earlier than the system is able to produce one other caldera-forming eruption.”
This sometimes happens over intervals of tens of hundreds of years. Santorini is at the moment in a part of magma accumulation however continues to be a great distance from one other caldera collapse. At this stage, no main explosive eruptions are anticipated.
Nonetheless, the brand new seismic and drilling experiments and the following geochemical analyses at GEOMAR problem this speculation: an eruption within the early summer season of the 12 months 726 has been detected and reconstructed at numerous factors within the drill cores from inside and outdoors the caldera.
Historic writings recount witnessing the ocean boiling “as if heated by an incandescent furnace.” Massive blocks of pumice had been ejected in such amount that they coated the ocean floor of the ocean over an unlimited space and had been carried by the wind to the coasts of Asia Minor and Macedonia.
It has been prompt that the sudden look of floating rocks within the Aegean Sea could have prompted Emperor Leo III of Constantinople, fearing divine displeasure, to impose iconoclasm, a ban on the show of non secular symbols, which brought about extreme socio-economic instability within the Byzantine Empire. Except for these historic accounts, concrete proof for this eruption has been missing till now.
Had been the experiences exaggerated? Or had the historic writers confused Santorini with one other volcano?
The worldwide IODP Expedition 398 “Hellenic Arc Volcanic Discipline” set out aboard the drilling vessel JOIDES Decision to uncover remnants of this historic eruption. Excessive-resolution seismic reflection information collected beforehand hinted at thick sediment layers of unclear origin.
Extra info:
Jonas Preine, Hazardous explosive eruptions of a recharging multi-cyclic island arc caldera, Nature Geoscience (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41561-024-01392-7. www.nature.com/articles/s41561-024-01392-7
Journal info:
Nature Geoscience