Thera Volcanic Eruption

by: Logan and Bryce

We spent our last week in Greece on the volcanic island Santorini. The volcano Thera erupted 3,600 years ago. After the volcano exploded the Minoan civilization based in Crete was destroyed and the eruption inspired a couple of myths.

The Minoans were the first advanced civilization of Europe. They were based in Crete and they were wiped out around the time of the eruption. Some people believe that the volcano was the cause of their destruction but they aren't sure. The Minoan city of Akrotiri was covered in mud and ash when the volcano erupted and was preserved. Archaeologists have not found any human remains (there was one pig). No one knows what happened to these people but some believe that they fled from the city following the earthquake that took place a couple of weeks before the eruption and are buried somewhere else on the island, or somehow made it off the island. Since the island was covered in mud the Minoans wouldn't have been able to grow any crops and the animals likely all died from no food as well.

One of the myths inspired by the eruption is the story of Atlantis, a city that was very powerful but sank into the sea in a night and day. This myth is similar to the ancient Minoans whose civilization was thought to be destroyed by the giant tsunamis and earthquakes from the eruption of the Thera volcano. This eruption may have also inspired Hesiod's poem about the Greek gods and giants fighting in the sea.

Facts about the Thera volcano:

• Explosion affected the growth of trees in California and crops in China
• The explosion was the size of 40 atomic bombs
• It caused mega tsunamis 
• It's still an active volcano 
• In the 1860s it erupted and caused deaths and evacuations 

We took a boat ride to the crater on our last day in Santorini. The crater is an island covered in black volcanic rocks. On one part of the crater there was steam coming out from the ground. There were supposed to be hot springs because of the volcano but the water was not hot. On Santorini there is a red sand beach. There are huge red rocks on the beach and also small red pebbles like sand. Some of the big rocks have white strips on them. We also hiked up to the top of a hill on the island and on the top there were pumice rocks. Santorini was pretty with all the white buildings and how the towns were built right on the edge of a hill.

Sources:

• http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/08/060823-thera-volcano.html
• http://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/archaeology/atlantis/
• http://www.historymuseum.ca/cmc/exhibitions/civil/greece/gr1040e.shtml
• http://www.livescience.com/4846-eruption-thera-changed-world.html