Tsunamis Observed on the Coasts of Greece from Antiquity to Present Time

• Published in: Annals of geophysics Vol. 13; no. 3-4; pp. 369 - 386
• Main Author: GALANOPOULOS A. G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV) 22.11.2011
• ISSN: 2037-416X; 1593-5213; 2037-416X
• DOI: 10.4401/ag-5477

In comparison with the great number of disastrous earthquakes which have occurred from antiquity to the present time in Greece, large tsunamis are very rare on the coasts of Greece. A really great tsunami may have started in the Aegean Sea after the tremendous explosion of Santorin volcano, which occurred 3370 ± 100 years ago (13). After the deposit of a layer of pumice 20-30 m thick and the emptying of the volcanic focus, the roof of the cavern thus formed collapsed. The centrai part, consisting of an area of 83 sq km, of the former island Stronghyb tlius became a gigantic caldera 300-400 m deep. Tliere is no evidence indicating whether the cobapse took place graduaby or ab at once. In the second case a huge tsunami should have started greater by far than that generated by the explosion of Krakatoa, on August 27, 1883. At that time depths of 200-300 m were formed by the sinking (24) of 2/3 of the former island of an area of 33 1/2 sq km. Thus the cavity formed by the explosion of Santorin is about 4 times greater than that of the Krakatoa.