When we hear “ Aegean Sea ” , it often complot up images of Ancient Greece , loosen beach holidays , or sparkling down in the mouth urine . But underneath the glittery surface lies Kolumbo , an active submarine volcano that in 1650 , erupted and triggered a destructive tsunami . Thanks to modern tomography technology , researchers have now successfully reconstruct the event , finally puzzle out the “ why ” and “ how ” of what happened nearly 400 class ago .
The 1650 Kolumbo eruption
Like many historic effect , up until now our intellect of the 1650 Kolumbo clap and tsunami fall in the main from eyewitness accounts . allot to these reports , in the former summertime of 1650 fire and lightning could be get wind to the NE of Santorini . Suddenly , there was a monumental bash , one that could be heard over 100 kilometers ( 62 miles ) out , and pumice stone , ash , and venomous accelerator start to fall on theAegeanislands .
As if that was n’t bad enough , moments before , the ocean had speedily receded , returning in the form oftsunamiwaves that were reportedly up to 20 meters ( 66 feet ) high-pitched . " We know these detail of the historical eruption of Kolumbo because there are present-day reports that were compiled and bring out by a Gallic volcanologist in the nineteenth hundred , " explicate Dr Jens Karstens , an author of a paper detailing the event ’s Reconstruction Period , in astatement .
The issue with present-day reports is that they do n’t explain the cause behind the eruption and the tsunami that watch . " We wanted to sympathise how the tsunami came about at that time and why the volcano exploded so violently , ” said Karstens .
That’s a deep ol' dent in the seafloor.Karstens et al., Nature Communications 2023 (CC BY 4.0)
Solving the mystery
The research squad first used seismic imaging technology to create a 3D range of a function of Kolumbo ’s crater , which reveal the signal of a huge eruption ; the volcanic crater was 2.5 kilometers ( 1.55 miles ) long and 500 meters ( 1,640 feet ) deep . One side of the vent ’s cone had also been hard deform , which indicates that there was a landslide .
But what triggered the tsunami in 1650 – the landslide , or the eruption itself ? A combination of the 3D epitome and computer simulations revealed that it was , in fact , both . tally diachronic business relationship of when the H2O receded versus when the loud bang was heard , the researcher concluded that the combination of both the landslide and the violent eruption that followed was the likely explanation for the huge wave . sham waves were n’t as high when it was just one or the other .
" Kolumbo consists partly of pumice with very steep slope . It is not very stable , ” Karstens explained . “ During the volcanic eruption , which had been become on for several week , lavawas continuously force out . Underneath , in the magma chamber , which contain a fortune of gas , there was enormous atmospheric pressure . When one of the vent ’s flanks slipped , the event was like uncorking a bottle of Champagne-Ardenne : the sudden going of pressure admit the gas in the magma organisation to expand , ensue in a Brobdingnagian explosion . "
Next steps
The research worker think that something similar could ’ve happened during last year ’s Hunga Tonga - Hunga Ha’apai eruption , which was the largestnatural explosionin a century and had significant impacts on the surroundingseabedand theozonelayer above .
As a result , they think their research could potentially be used to lie the basis for new ways ofmonitoringactive submarine volcanoes . " We hope to be able to utilise our results to build up new approaches to monitor volcanic fermentation , " suppose Karstens , " Maybe even an early warning system , collecting data point in tangible - time . That would be my dream . "
The subject area is published inNature Communications .
