Santorini caldera

A largely submerged volcanic depression in the southern Aegean Sea, formed when eruptions caused part of the Santorini volcanic island to collapse.

Minoan eruption: A major Late Bronze Age eruption of the Santorini volcano that expelled vast quantities of magma and reshaped the island. Its deposits and collapse helped create the caldera’s present form.
Akrotiri eruption: A major prehistoric eruption of Santorini that occurred before the Minoan eruption. Its deposits preserve an earlier phase of the volcanic island’s history.
Santorini: A Greek island group in the southern Aegean, centered on a volcanic caldera. The caldera is the defining geological feature of the archipelago.
Minoan civilization: A Bronze Age civilization centered on Crete and active across the Aegean. The Minoan eruption occurred during its later history, though its effects on the civilization remain debated.
Caldera: A large volcanic depression formed when a magma chamber empties and the overlying ground collapses. Santorini’s basin is one example of this collapse structure.
Aegean volcanic arc: A chain of volcanoes formed above the subducting African Plate in the southern Aegean. Santorini’s volcanism is part of this tectonic arc.
Palea Kameni: A volcanic island in the center of the Santorini caldera, formed by post-collapse eruptions. Its older lava flows document rebuilding within the flooded basin.
Akrotiri (archaeological site): A Bronze Age settlement on Santorini buried by volcanic deposits and preserved beneath them. Its excavation reveals life on the island before the major caldera-forming eruption.
Nea Kameni: An active volcanic island built within the flooded center of the Santorini caldera. Its lava domes show that volcanic construction continued after caldera collapse.
Hellenic Arc: A curved tectonic zone in the eastern Mediterranean where the African Plate descends beneath the Aegean region. Its subduction drives magma generation beneath Santorini.

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