Santorini not facing new volcano

Recent seismic activity in Santorini has sparked concerns about a potential volcanic eruption. However, seismologists Dimitris Papanikolaou and Kostas Papazachos clarified that the region is not facing the formation of a new volcano. Both the Kameni and Kolumbo volcanoes, they stressed, are not involved in the current seismic events.

“This is an unprecedented phenomenon,” Papanikolaou stated, explaining that the seismic sequence, with fluctuations in intensity, could persist for months. “We are continuously analyzing data,” he added.

Papanikolaou described magmatic processes as the movement of magma from deep beneath the Earth’s surface rising toward the crust, though it rarely reaches the surface to form volcanoes. “The chances of a new volcano forming are extremely rare,” he said.

Papazachos compared the crust to an egg, with magma attempting to break through in certain places, forming volcanoes. In other areas, the shell is too tough for the magma to penetrate.

Papanikolaou dismissed rumors of a volcanic eruption, stating: “There is no chance of a volcanic eruption right now. Both volcanoes are calm.” He emphasised that while magma intrusion occurs at depths greater than 5 kilometers, it is unlikely to cause an eruption.

Regarding the ongoing seismic activity, the experts explained that it is caused by a combination of magmatic and tectonic forces. “The earthquakes are at a very deep depth,” Papazachos noted.

Some ground deformation has been observed, including a rise of up to 4 centimeters in the caldera. “We have many volcanic earthquakes. We had them in 2011 and also this past fall. Tectonic earthquakes are a constant in Greece. Now we are dealing with a different phenomenon that we are studying, which is related to magma intrusion, and that’s why we are talking about tectono-magmatism. Otherwise, we would be talking about tectono-volcanism,” Papanikolaou said. 

Source: ekathimerini.com