Technological Educational Institute of Crete
« Two thousand years of history in Crete » Gareth OWENS
The volcano destroyer of Atlantis
LOVINFOSSE Jonathan
Belgian Erasmus Student 16th February 2004 – 7th June 2004
Table of contents
Table of contents................................................................................................................... 2 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 3 1. Santorini 1.1. Geographical status ................................................................................................... 3 1.2. Physical settings of the volcanism.............................................................................. 4 1.3. Volcanism history of Santorini.................................................................................... 6 1.3.1. Original basement .............................................................................................. 6 1.3.2. The Minoan explosion ........................................................................................ 7 1.3.3. Historical eruptive and major seismic events...................................................... 7 2. Atlantis..........................................................................................................................10 2.1. Presentation .............................................................................................................10 2.2. Source, and written text ............................................................................................11 2.3. Could Santorini have been Atlantis? .........................................................................11 Conclusion ...........................................................................................................................14
Introduction From Santorini, the volcano with an history as well scary than fabulous, to Atlantis, the mysterious legendary city, it can be only one small step. This document tries to explain these two subjects, and give an idea to join them.
1. Santorini 1.1.
Geographical status
Santorini, also known as Thira, is one of the Cycladic islands. It is an historic volcano, again active, which takes part of the South Hellenic (or Aegean) volcanic arc in the Aegean Sea, located at about 120 kilometers in the north of Crete.
Santorini, is a group of six islands: •
Thera, which is the biggest, 75.8 km2, 7000 habitants
•
Therasia, 9.3 km , 250 habitants
•
Aspronisi, 0.1 km , uninhabited
•
Palea Kameni, 0.5 km , 1 habitant
•
Nea Kameni, 3.4 km , uninhabited
2
2
2
2
Separated of a small non-volcanic basement represented in the south-eastern part of Thera, these islands are composed of volcanic rocks, built by hundreds of volcanic eruptions during the last 2 million years. Palea Kameni and Nea Kameni have formed during several lava eruptions, preceded by the explosion and the collapse of the big original magma chamber. Nea Kameni is still active, its last eruption was in 1950.
1.2.
Physical settings of the volcanism
The volcanic complex of Santorini is the most active part of the South Aegean Volcanic Arc. This volcanic arc is about 500 kilometers long and 20 to 40 kilometers wide. It extends from the Greek mainland through the Bodrum peninsula in Turkey, passing by the islands of Aegina, Methana, Poros, Milos, Kos, Yali and Nisyros.
This arc is characterized by earthquakes at depths of 150-170 kilometers, which is in fact, the subduction of the African plate underneath the Eurasian plate (more precisely the Aegean subplate), at a rate of more than 5 centimeters per year to the north-east direction. The crust of the Aegean subplate has a thickness between 20 and 32 kilometers. Compared with average crustal thicknesses of the mainland of Greece and Turkey, 40-50 km, there is a stretching factor of about two due to the tectonic extension. The strongest extension seems to have been in the Cretan Trough whereas the Central Aseismic Plateau (CAP) on which the Cyclades are situated forms a relatively stable strongly faulted crust block. The volcanic centers of the Aegean Arc are placed along the southern border of the CAP. They are aligned on five 60° E-NE going seismic lineaments that are interpreted as deep lithosphere rupture zones which permit to the magma to ascent from the mantle. The Cyclades are a metamorphic complex area, the Cycladic Massif, that formed in Triassic to Tertiary time and were folded and metamorphosed during the Alpine folding around 60 million years ago. The Cycladic Massif was a coherent landmass until tectonic movement of the plates and the beginning subduction caused its disintegration by subsidence and upheaval of single units following partial flooding in the late Miocene. Volcanism in the Aegean Arc generally first occurred about 3-4 million years ago with the exception of the island of Kos where Keller and others report ignimbrites from Miocene age about 10-11 million years old. The volcanic field of Santorini consists of Santorini, the Christiania islands around 20 kilometers to the southwest and the submerged Columbus volcano 7 kilometers to the northeast. It is partly situated on a southwest - northeast trending tectonic horst called the Amorgos Ridge. This fault block is visible in seismic profiles. The northwestern half of the volcanic field lies within the Anydros Graben. On Santorini itself the major structural features visible on prevolcanic rocks are northeast striking thrust faults like the one underlying Mesa Vouno, passing from Perissa beach through the saddle between Mesa Vouno and Profitis Ilias until Kamari beach. Most of the tectonic lines seen both on Santorini and on seismic profiles follow the general southwestnortheast trend. The most important one is named Kameni Line. It intersects the caldera and defines most of the known eruption centers. It aligns the Christiania islands, the Akrotiri peninsula and Palea and Nea Kameni. A parallel one, the Columbo line, perhaps identical with the Kameni line, passes through the centers of Megalo Vouno, the maar at Cape Columbo beach and the Columbo volcano. It seems that the rising magma has exploited existing deep-reaching tectonic fault zones.
1.3.
Volcanism history of Santorini
1.3.1.
Original basement
Non-volcanic rocks are exposed on Santorini at the Profitis Ilias Mountain, Mesa Vouno, the Gavrillos ridge, Pirgos, Monolithos and the inner side of the caldera wall between Cape Plaka and Athinios.
They represent a former non-volcanic island of about 9 x 6 kilometers extension similar to neighbouring Cycladic islands like Anaphe, Ios or Amorgos. The rocks consist of metamorphosed limestone and schist from Triassic to Tertiary time folded during the Alpine folding. The observed metamorphose grade is a blue-schist facies resulting from tectonic deformation by the plate collision in the Oligocene to Miocene. At Athinios a 9.5 million year old Miocene granite intrusion has been found. It is part of the Cycladic Granitic Province and is the source of ore minerals including talcum, chalcopyrite, chrysocolla, magnetite and others.
1.3.2.
The Minoan explosion
The Minoan eruption happened around 1645 BC in the Late Bronze Age. It was one of the largest plinian eruptions in younger time, and probably the most terrible natural catastrophe on Earth since the end of the dinosaurs. The volcano erupted about 30-40 km3 of magma and is ranked VEI=6 (Volcanic Explosivity Index). The eruption was followed by collapse of the huge magma chamber that enlarged an existing caldera. The 30-40 kilometers high eruption cloud was seen from hundreds of kilometers and the thundering noise from the explosions must have been heard in almost the entire world. Ashes and pumices had fallen throughout the Easter Mediterranean for several days or weeks. At the east of Santorini, the sky could have been completely dark for hours or days. Probably, tsunamis were generated (like in the Krakatoa eruption) and probably devastated the coasts of Crete and other surrounding islands. On a global scale, even the climate might have changed for some years, causing colder weather and failed crops.
1.3.3.
Historical eruptive and major seismic events
The eruptive events from 197 BC to 726 are only poorly documented from Greek, Roman and Byzantine writers. •
197 BC Formation of an island called Hiera ("the holy one") inside the caldera, probably a precursor of Palea Kameni.
•
46 AD Appearance of a new island that probably grew together with Hiera and formed the basis of Palea Kameni. Probably surtseyan activity with updoming of the sea-floor.
•
726 AD Strong explosive, probably sub-plinian eruption. Probably small effusive activity following the pumice eruption, and creating the black blocky lava lobe at Agios Nikolaos (the small harbor bay with the church and hot iron springs).
•
1457-1458 Unclear reports from Athanasius Kircher (1665) and Buondelmonte (1465/66) indicate that either a part of Palea Kameni collapsed and disappeared or a new island between Palea Kameni and Thera was built.
•
1570-1573 Formation of Mikri Kameni (gr., = "small burnt island"). Surtseyan activity, ash-fall and block fall-out
•
27th of September 1650 Kolumbo submarine volcano (ca. 8 km NE of Cape Kolumbo, Santorini): strong surtseyansubplinian eruption with ash and pumice fall, toxic gasses (>50 fatalities). Generation of a strong tsunami.
•
23rd of May 1707 - September 1711 Formation of Nea Kameni (gr., = "the new burnt island"). Strong surtseyan and effusive activity. Ash-fall and gas explosions. Lowering of the coastline of Thera and Mikri Kameni. 18th of May 1707 : Earthquake 21st of May 1707 : Earthquake 23rd of May 1707 at sunrise : Rising of a white island ca. 200 m west of Mikri Kameni. Updoming of the sea-floor. White pumice and black lava blocks covered with living sea animals. 23rd of May – 13th/14th of June 1707 : Rising of the white island without visible volcanic action up to 70-80 m height and ca. 500-600 width. 5th of June 1707 : Rising and growing of a black island north of the white island. "Fire" visible (lava fountains?). 12th of June 1707 : The white and the black island unite.
•
1711 – 1866 No activity. Mikri and Nea Kameni separated islands forming 2 natural bays (Georgios and Vulkano bay). Sulfuric fumaroles in Vulkano bay. Building of a small harbor and ca. 50 summerhouses (!) on Nea Kameni.
•
4th of February 1866 – 15th of October 1870 Moderate effusive and minor explosive activity. Mikri and Nea Kameni unite. Lava flows, lava fountains and ash-falls. 26th of January 1866 : Falling down of blocks between Mikri and Nea Kameni, fractures in the walls of houses. Following days : Rising temperature of seawater (boiling) and increased fumarolic activity. Beginning of February 1866 : Smoke and rising of dark cooled lava blocks to the surface of Vulkano bay. The rising cone was called "Georgios". 6th of February 1866 : Cooled lava blocks reach Nea Kameni and cover the houses. 20th of February 1866 : Strong explosion of Georgios. Ash-fall. Repeated in short intervals during the following months. Max. height of pyroclastic columns during paroxysmal explosions 2,2 km. New eruptive center, called "Aphroessa", becomes active south of Nea Kameni. March 1866 : Products of Aphroessa reach Nea Kameni.
10th of May 1866 : New eruptive center. Formation of a small island ("Maionisi", gr., = Mayislands) that dissappears shortly after. •
11th of August 1925 – 17th of March 1928 Moderate effusive and explosive activity. Growth of Nea Kameni. Lava flows, lava fountains and ash-falls. August 1925 : Rising temperature in the Red bay ("Kokkina Nera", gr. = red waters) at the eastern shore of Nea Kameni and subsidence of Nea Kameni's east shore. Vapor fountains and lava outflow. 11th of August 1925 - January 1926 : Building of a small cone ("Daphne"). Effusive and explosive activity from this cone culminating in paroxysmal pyroclastic columns up to 3,2 km high. January 1926 - May 1926 : Pause of activity. May 1926 : Phreatomagmatic explosions producing minor pyroclastic flows. May 1926 : Jan. 1928 -- Pause of activity. Jan. 1928 : 4 phreatic explosions and mixed effusive-explosive activity forming a new lava dome called "Nautilus".
•
20th of August 1939 - July 1941 Formation of several lava domes ("Tritona", "Ktenas", "Fouqué", "Smith-Reck" and "Niki"). Extrusive and slighly explosive activity. Lava outflow in most cases preceeded by phreatic explosions.
•
10th of January 1950 – 2
nd
of February 1950
Small effusive activity ("Liatsikas" lavas) preceeded by phreatic explosions.
2. Atlantis 2.1.
Presentation
Atlantis is one of the oldest legends of the western civilisation. It talks about a prosperous land, or sometimes describe as continent, or also as an island, that disappeared into the sea. Every place on Earth, even Antarctica, was one day designed as the original place of Atlantis. This is the perfect proof that the human fantasy is unlimited. In the modern society, a lot of people are fascinated by Atlantis, even more because science- fictions, and also Disney movies, create wonderful virtual views of it. But this legend is really older than that. Atlantis seems to be one of the oldest dream an myth, from lost Golden Age.
The discussion about Atlantis is so probably endless. It creates innumerable books, films, web-pages, articles,… but most of them are totally speculative and report unproved facts. Some people even believe that the inhabitants of Atlantis were extraterrestrials... Whatever and wherever Atlantis was, if such a place really once existed, we will never probably know it for sure.
2.2.
Source, and written text
The antique sources from the ancient world (mostly Egypt and Crete) which are, or at least seem to be, connected to the legend, should be victim of serious investigations. Unfortunately they are few and not always very clear. The most important text where the name “Atlantis” is used comes from Plato (427-347 BC). He tells us in “Kritias” and “Timaios”, with a lot of details, the story of a high standing flourishing civilisation, with divine origins, that lived on an island or small continent outside the columns of Hercules (mostly interpreted as the Street of Gibraltar). The race he describes had all the virtues and lived in peace as long the portion of their divine nature still was strong. When it faded and was more and more diluted, "when the human nature got the upper hand" (Plato, Critias 121b), they lost their paradise by becoming ambitious. Fighting war against the rest of the civilised world they couldn't be defeated but by the virtue and moral power of the Athenians. As having attracted the Gods' anger Atlantis was destroyed by earthquakes and sunk into the sea, leaving a mass of mud behind. Plato sustains to have in hand as his source an old Egyptian report that he obtained via his grandfather and a friend of this grandfather, who got it from the Great Solon who lived around 640-560 BC. Solon in turn was told the story during one of his travels by Egyptian priests at Sais. He even brought with him an old Egyptian document and translated it.
2.3.
Could Santorini have been Atlantis?
Many serious investigators think that the source of the legend is actually the Minoan eruption of Santorini. Why? There are some fairly convincing arguments: 1. Plato tells about a circular island with concentric structures. Santorini today has an impressive concentric geographic setting and had it also before the Minoan eruption. Furthermore, the famous picture in the West House from the Akrotiri excavations most likely represents a relatively naturalistic portrait of Thera. It shows an inhabited and flowering island landscape, the departing of a Therean fleet, but also some concentric water-land ring structures. 2. Plato wrote that Atlantis was situated in the ocean, beyond the "Pillars of Hercules". The "Pillars of Hercules" were at Platon's time the strait of Gibraltar and this would put Atlantis in the Atlantic Ocean. Further, Plato tells that Atlantis was bigger than Libya and Asia together. If
we believe Plato literally, Atlantis was then outside of the Mediterranean region. But it is also possible that Solon or Plato either was misinterpreting their old sources or that Plato put it willingly far away from the Greek influenced world. - The first possibility could be explained by the fact that the original text was much older and the Pillars of Hercules had not necessarily always been associated with the strait of Gibraltar. It could very well have meant a place within the Aegean Sea. The association of pillars could even be an allusion to the giant eruption cloud from the Minoan eruption (almost 40 km high) that undoubtedly was visible in the whole Eastern Mediterranean and virtually reached the sky. How could such a sight be forgotten? Then, there is the connection to the mythical titan Atlas who held the sky upon the shoulders. - Putting Atlantis and its civilisation far away from the ancient world would also suit Plato's intention of providing antitheses to the Greek society and its values that he defends. This is clearly Plato's major purpose in his account. The same is true for Plato's words, "bigger than Libya and Asia together". Also it has been interpreted that Plato or someone before him in the chain of the oral or written tradition of the report accidentally changed the very similar Greek words for "bigger than" ("meson") and "between" ("mezon"). If this was the case, Atlantis could be identical with Santorini. Besides, it is geologically not possible that a large continent could disappear in a dramatic event, in a very short time span. There is nowhere on earth such evidence. 3.
Plato gives as date for Atlantis, 9000 years before his time, but it should be read as 900 years. In fact, there was an erroneous translation done by Solon from the old Egyptian number system. Plato lived at about 300 BC and Solon's journey to Egypt had taken place about 300 years earlier. Adding these figures, the Atlantis event should have taken place around 1500 BC, in good agreement with the recent dating of the Minoan eruption, about 1640BC. It is also possible, that 900 years looked not far enough in time for Platon (or Solon etc.). Putting it far into the past adds weight to the historic self-conception of the Athenians. Also, as far as Archaeologists know (and they know a lot about the past of Athens...), there is no trace of a highly advanced Athenian culture at around 9000BC. So, 9000 years must be wrong, or invented. Almost certain.
4. The archaeological findings on Thera (near Akrotiri) clearly demonstrate that, before the Minoan eruption, there was a developed, rich, and probably oligarchic marine community, whose the flourishing economy was provided by intensive trade, shipping, and probably vine. We do not know what happened to these people. So far, no human body has been found killed by the eruption (reference to some village near the Vesuvius volcano, like the famous Pompeï). It seems that they had been warned in time to evacuate the island. That means even if Plato completely invented the story, it is still true. Something like he describes has happened on Santorini 1640BC. An event of that size must have had enormous impressions on the people living at that time. It is difficult to imagine that the eruption, which was much bigger than the 79 AD Vesuvius eruption, was completely forgotten in history. But strangely, no unambiguous sources seem to refer directly to the event. On the other hand, there are several ancient myths and hints that could allude to it including the plagues reported in the Bible, but the most evident one is Plato's Atlantis legend.
5. Probably, there was no witness of the eruption that could survive and give a direct report. What the Minoan people lived had to be scary. If we compare the Minoan explosion with the smallest 79AD Vesuvius one and the 1883 Krakatoa one, we can have an idea of the circumstances of the eruption. The 30-40 kilometers high eruption cloud was seen from hundreds of kilometers and the thundering noise from the explosions must have been heard in almost the whole known world. Ashes and pumices had fallen throughout the Easter Mediterranean for several days or weeks. At the east of Santorini, the sky could have been completely dark for hours or days. Probably, tsunamis were generated (like in the Krakatoa eruption) and probably devastated the coasts of Crete and other surrounding islands. On a global scale, even the climate might have changed for some years, causing colder weather and failed crops. It is a speculation to say how long it took until the first curious visitors arrived again by ship and visited Thera. Considering the possible destructive effects of the eruption and the fact that the sea due to rafting pumice must not have been navigable for months (that is why, may be the first report of the eruption of Palea Kameni, is from 726 AD), at least some time (years, decades ?) could have passed before a human saw the changed island. And in these people, is there anybody who knew the island before the eruption? Would he have recognised it? Probably not. When Vesuvius erupted in 1631, some villages were completely buried under ash, and people could not find their houses and fields anymore. Santorini erupted 3000 years earlier and 100 times stronger… Thera itself would have presented to these people an image of complete destruction, without any sign of life, neither of what existed before. Everything was probably covered with white and unstable masses of ash, subject to frequent landslides and other forms of erosion. Probably it was not a very pleasant inviting sight. That explains that no traces of resettlement had occurred on the island for many hundreds years after the eruption. Probably the first humans, who repopulated the island centuries later, were the Phoenicians. A new part of history began then. Antique legends refer to Thera, then also called 'Callisti' (gr. = the most beautiful one) as a present by the God Triton to the the Argonauts, as for example reported by Pindar (4th Pyth. Ode, Verse 10). 6. Some details of Platon's story are clearly describing volcanic phenomena. Such are the colours Platos describes of being typical of the rocks of Atlantis: black (lava), white (pumice and ash) and red (lava). These are the colours of Santorini. The warm and cold springs are typical of volcanic places and still found on Santorini today. Most obvious, the way the gods, i.e. nature for us, destroyed Atlantis: by earthquake, fire and lightning. Lightning is always see near a huge eruption columns, and it’s probably the most impressive sign of a terrible event if observed from far. From close rage, nobody could have survived. Another hint is the mentioned mud that remained at the site of Atlantis. It is enough to translate mud with the enormous masses of pumice and ash from the eruption that floated on the sea.
Conclusion By missing information about the Minoan explosion, by the disappearance of almost all proof of life on Santorini before the volcano explosion, we can not have a real idea of what was the Therean civilisation before. In a second way, nobody can be sure that Atlantis have ever existed one day one Earth. Fake story from Plato or old legend, by misunderstandings and mistakes during the translation, we will probably never know neither the real story of Atlantis. So, how can we connect these two subjects without doing an enormous speculation? Of course nothing is certain. But by its history, and specially the scary Minoan eruption, Santorini is probably the most plausible situation of Atlantis.
