Santorini Eruption: New theory Says ‘Pyroclastic Flows’ Caused Devastating Bronze Age Tsunamis

Take the ferry to the beautiful Greek islands of Santorini and you will sail into a truly unique landscape forged by a cataclysm towards the end of the Bronze Age. From either the north or south your ship will leave the brilliant blue seas of the Aegean and enter a natural harbor flanked by majestic cliffs. Ferries pass between the large island of Thira and the smaller island of Thirasia, while straight ahead a small island in the center of the natural harbor, Nea Kameni, looks like a molehill surrounded by mountains.

It is on Nea Kameni, among hot springs and sulphurous vents, that you can begin to understand the natural history and formation of this island. The harbor, the cliffs, the elegant white houses with blue roofs; all are part of a huge volcano.

3D panoramic view of Santorini. By Asybaris01 – Own work, (Public Domain)

Sometime during the mid-second millennium BC, Santorini erupted. It was one of the biggest volcanic events in human history. In the past 800 years, only Mount Tambora in Indonesia has erupted with such force, and Tambora was responsible for a global “year without a summer” in 1816.