The Creation of Santorini
Did you know that the initial shape of Santorini was
circular and was about twice the size?
That is why it was called Strongili (meaning circular in greek).
The island’s shape was constantly changing due to strong earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
The first major volcanic eruption occurred about 25,000 years ago, sinking almost half of the island and creating the famous Caldera.
In 1,613 BC. the volcano woke up again, destroying further Santorini and its surrounding islands. This is the largest volcanic eruption humanity has ever experienced.
Waves of 30 meters height swept the coasts of Cyclades and Northern Crete, and it is speculated that this caused the decline of the famous Minoan civilization.
Within three days, 60 cubic kilometers of stone were released into the atmosphere, this volume is equal to 64 million houses. The amount of volcanic gas that was accumulated in the atmosphere had caused the average annual temperature of the planet to drop by up to four degrees Celsius for two years. The explosion sank a quarter of the island, breaking it into 3 pieces. Santorini, Thirasia and Aspronisi. A thick layer of ash covered the whole island, extending the east coast up to 2 km.
It is speculated that Santorini hosted more than 30,000 inhabitants. In the prehistoric city of Akrotiri
excavations and findings testify that the inhabitants of Santorini left the city on time, as it seems that there
have been warning earthquakes. Tons of pumice covered the city for centuries.
In 46 BC. lava rose again from the depths of the sea creating the volcanic islands we see today. In the last
150 years the size of Nea Kameni volcanic island has tripled. The last lava flow occurred in 1950 A.D.
