Santorini and Kolumbo Volcanoes

Santorini and Kolumbo Volcanoes Latest News

Recently, an earthquake swarm of over 1,200 quakes around Santorini revealed that Santorini and the submerged Kolumbo volcano share an underground magma reservoir.

About Santorini Volcano

• Located in the southern Aegean Sea, about 200 km southeast of mainland Greece.
• It is the largest island of a small archipelago, forming the remnant of a volcanic caldera.
• Part of the South Aegean Volcanic Arc, and the southernmost member of the Cyclades group.
• Famous for the Minoan (Thera) eruption (~1600 BCE), one of the largest eruptions in recorded history, which contributed to the collapse of the Minoan civilisation and may have triggered a volcanic winter.

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About Kolumbo Volcano

• A submarine volcano located about 7 km northeast of Santorini.
• Last major eruption: 1650 AD, which caused tsunamis and toxic gas emissions, leading to destruction on Santorini and nearby islands.
• It forms part of the Christiana-Santorini-Kolumbo (CSK) volcanic field.

Recent Findings

• This is the first scientific evidence of a magmatic connection between the two volcanoes, complicating eruption prediction and risk assessment.
• Both volcanoes lie in the Hellenic Volcanic Arc, one of the most active volcanic zones in Europe, making them critical for global geological studies and disaster management planning.
• Seismic & GPS data (2024–2025): Showed swelling of Santorini due to magma accumulation.
• Earthquake migration (Jan 2025): Quakes shifted from Santorini toward Kolumbo, while both volcanoes simultaneously deflated, indicating a shared magma source.
• Significance: Proves that interconnected volcanic systems exist and may behave in coordination (similar to volcanoes in Hawaii, Iceland, and Kamchatka).
• Calls for real-time, high-resolution monitoring to improve eruption forecasting and minimise risks.

Source: SCN