Combined topographic map of Santorini volcanic field based on onshore and offshore data. Orange box outlines the area of the northwest strait. (Image credit: Nomikou P., M. Paulatto, L.M. Kalnins and D. Lampridou)
Calamitous waves that led to the downfall of the Minoan culture in ancient Greece may have been caused by volcanic materials in the ocean. A new study suggests that a tsunami was triggered by the displacement of large volumes of ash and lava into the sea after the Santorini volcano erupted. Large masses of volcanic deposits near Santorini support this new theory.
Authors:
P. Nomikou, T. H. Druitt, C. Hübscher, T. A. Mather, M. Paulatto, L. M. Kalnins, K. Kelfoun, D. Papanikolaou, K. Bejelou, D. Lampridou, D. M. Pyle, S. Carey, A. B. Watts, B. Weiß & M. M. Parks
Corresponding author:
Paraskevi Nomikou, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
Original paper published in Nature Communications on November 8, 2016.
