The geology of Santorini

The geology of Santorini is extremely interesting and intriguing; the current form of the island of Santorini is the direct result of the violent activity of the volcano of Santorini in the past and prehistoric years. In fact, the island of Santorini owns its existence to the volcano.

The geology of santorini by WorldIslandInfo.com

The last big explosion of the Santorini Volcano happened 3,600 years ago, at the end of the Copper Era. Thirty million cubic meters of magma in the form of hot and steamy rocks and ashes were skyrocketed in the air, at a height of 36 kilometers above the island.

Under the remains of the volcanic explosion was buried one of the most known and developed civilizations of that time, creating the myth and the suspicions of what is known as Atlantis. Is Santorini the lost Atlantis? We cannot be sure, as there many different version and explanations of the same myth. We cannot even know if Atlantis actually existed.

The most recent signs of life of the Santorini Volcano date back to 1950 when great amounts of lava created the two small islands you can visit today in Santorini: the Palia and Nea Kameni, which have risen from the depth of the caldera during the past two centuries, creating this breathtaking scenery you can see when standing on the caldera watching the endless blue.