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Santorini Volcano
When the volcano erupted, around 1450 BC, it is said to have caused tidal waves in excess of 200 metres which were sent crashing into the northern coast of Crete, causing heavy destruction. Earthquakes were triggered and the ash and debris choked the skies. It is not long after that the Minoan civilization, once rulers of the seas, ceased to exist.
After the eruption, all that remained of round Stronghyle was the horse-shoe shaped island we know today. The island was covered in a layer of volcanic ash 30-40 metres deep.
Eruptions continued in the 3rd century BC when the island of Thirassia was severed from Santorini, and in the 2nd century BC when the volcanic islet Palaia Kameni began to appear in the bay. In 1707, eruptions caused Nea Kameni to appear.
Mild tremors are often felt on the island, but in 1956 a severe earthquake caused considerable devestation in Fira and Oia, and many of the houses along the cliffs were destroyed. You can still see evidence of this today, but in many places it has added to the interesting labyrinth of architecture that clings to the cliff face.
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