Colloquium The Santorini Eruption and Tsunami in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: Physical and Societal Aspects

Volcanic eruptions are natural hazards that may have severe impact on the environment and on human society. The largest volcanic upheaval in the Eastern Mediterranean region, since the beginning of human civilizations in the area, was the explosive eruption at Santorini in the Aegean Sea during the mid 2nd millennium BCE. The eruption has recently been classified as “super-colossal ” with a volcanic explosivity index (VEI) of 7 (maximum defined VEI = 8). The Minoan settlements at Santorini were destroyed. But what was the effect in the region at large? Deposits of volcanic ash from the eruption, found from the Nile delta to the Black Sea, constitute the most important stratigraphic time marker for this period. This is important, because an intriguing and yet unresolved difference exists between historical-archaeological dating and radiocarbon dating concerning the Santorini eruption. Our research at Minoan Palaikastro in Crete led to the first discovery of extensive tsunami deposits that can be associated with the Santorini eruption. Tsunami generation was suggested in relation to the eruption, but so far comparatively little evidence had been found. The presentation will focus on the nature and character of th