Historical accounts provide insight on the geological evolution of the 20th century eruptions at Santorini volcano, Greece

Abstract

The 20th century eruptions of the Santorini volcano in Greece are the most recent activity of the volcano’s long lifespan. While the different eruptions taking place between 1925 and 1950 have traditionally been considered to exhibit similar eruptive styles, aspects of their evolution and precise information related to the individual eruption dynamics were poorly constrained. This study collates field reports and historical accounts, mainly from the Greek national scientific committee, which was assigned to study the volcanic activity in Nea Kameni Island with recent field campaigns. This analysis provides further insight into these eruptions and attempts to unravel the timing and style of explosive and effusive episodes that took place. Reconstruction of the recent geological evolution and of the eruptive history allow a more complete description of the eruption dynamics and associated unrest. These include fumarolic behaviour, explosion intensity, direction and volume of the lava flows, eruption duration, vent morphological changes (such as craters, domes, and horseshoe ramparts), textural characteristics and lava morphologies, as well as surface fracturing. Specific features related to first-hand accounts of the eruptions and associated products, in conjunction with our in situ post-eruptive geological study, allow an improved reconstruction of activity, both prior to and during the historical eruptions, which contributes to understanding the development of the eruption and enhances the forecast of potential future eruptions from patterns of precursory activity.