Santorini is a volcanic island in the Cyclades group of Greek islands, located between Anafi and Ios islands. Santorini is also a name referring to the surrounding family of islands. Santorini is also known as Thira which formed a single island prior to the major volcanic activity that took place around 1628 B.C. With over 2 million years of volcanic history, Santorini has undergone various eruptions that have shaped its caldera and the surrounding islands.
The volcanic history of the area goes back to 2 million years ago. This is the period where the first eruptions happened from the deep-sea floor in the Akrotiri Penisula area. This activity gave rise to dacitic lava domes that later formed a series of islands. A Peristeria volcano (Stratovolcano) formed in the second stage in the northern parts of Santorini. The parts of this stage can still be seen on the slopes and cliffs of Megalo Vouno and Mikro Profitis Ilias.
Starting from around 400,000 years ago volcanic activities shifted towards the center of present-day caldera.
Minoan Eruption – 1613 + – 13 BC
This is the most recent Pilian eruption that occurred in the late Bronze Age about 1613 BC. This is one of the most studied as its one of the biggest volcanic activity in younger time and still the most mysterious of other eruptions. The cyclic construction of the shield volcanos is the major characteristic as the deep impact had an effect on the entire Eastern Mediterranean.
197 BC Eruption – This activity formed an island called Hiera inside the caldera, which is probably a precursor of Palea Kameni
46 AD Eruption – This formed the appearance of a new island that is said to have grown together with Hiera to form the basis of Palea Kameni.
Other notable and recent eruptions include:
726 AD – A strong eruption that was probably sub-pilian,
1570 – Formation of Mikri Kameni,
- May 1707 to Sept. 1711 – Nea Kameni Formation,
1939-41 – Formation of several lava domes,
1950 – A small effusive activity that was preceded by phreatic explosions.
How to access the volcano
For someone looking to travel to Satorini, one can access Santorini volcano either by air or through the sea. If you’re prone to seasickness, getting to Santorini Volcano from Athens by air is the best option and also faster, compared to the ferry. During the season, however, air tickets tend to sell well than those of most ferries. Passagers are transferred by local boats from Skala to other Santorini destinations.