An uptick in volcanic activity has been detected on the popular Greek tourist island of Santorini, prompting the country’s civil protection minister to convene a meeting with local authorities and disaster response teams.
According to a statement from the Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Ministry released on Wednesday, monitoring devices have recorded “mild seismic-volcanic activity” within Santorini’s caldera. This follows a similar episode in 2011 that persisted for 14 months without causing any significant issues.
Experts observing the Hellenic Volcanic Arc, which extends from Greece’s Peloponnese region through the Cycladic islands, have identified increased activity along a central fault line in the caldera’s northern section.
“Based on current data, scientists report there is no immediate cause for concern,” the ministry assured.
Santorini, a top tourist destination renowned for its striking whitewashed buildings and blue-domed churches overlooking the caldera, was the site of a major volcanic eruption in around 1620 BC. This event reshaped the island and is thought to have played a role in the decline of the Minoan civilization.
Despite being an active volcano, Santorini’s last significant eruption occurred in 1950.
Efthymios Lekkas, a seismologist and head of the scientific monitoring committee for the Hellenic Volcanic Arc, commented on Greek television that while major eruptions occur approximately every 20,000 years, there is no imminent threat of such an event. “It’s been 3,000 years since the last major eruption, so it’s likely a long time before the next,” he said.
Lekkas explained that volcanic activity will vary over time, potentially causing minor earthquakes, noting that “the volcano is a living organism” and that the current activity should not lead to a major explosion but rather a mild process.
Lekkas attended the meeting initiated by Civil Protection Minister Vassilis Kikilias, which included the head of Greece’s fire department, the deputy minister for natural disaster recovery, and various local and regional officials.