Greece Going Boom?
No no no, bankruptcy is so 2011!
We’re talking real BOOM
Santorini is a tourist magnet, famous for its breathtaking, cliff side views and sunsets.
It’s also a volcanic island that has been relatively calm since its last eruption in 1950. Until now. The Santorini caldera is awake again and rapidly deforming at levels never seen before. Georgia Tech Associate Professor Andrew Newman has studied Santorini since setting up more than 20 GPS stations on the island in 2006.
“After decades of little activity, a series of earthquakes and deformation began within the Santorini caldera in January of 2011,” said Newman, whose research is published by Geophysical Research Letters. “Since then, our instruments on the northern part of the island have moved laterally between five and nine centimeters. The volcano’s magma chamber is filling, and we are keeping a close eye on its activity.”
If this sounds strangely familiar, why, yes, it should
Santorini is the site of one of the largest volcanic events in human history. The Minoan eruption, which occurred around 1650 B.C., buried the major port city of Akrotiri with more than 20 meters of ash and created Santorini’s famous, present-day cliffs.
I still rank the Greek Islands amongst the most beautiful and historically fascinating destinations to which I have travelled. The archaeological digs are captivating. It would be an absolute shame should a volcanic eruption cause any damage or disruption. Those poor Greek people don’t deserve any further catastrophes.
We’ve always wanted to do a cruise amongst those islands, Syd. I’m jealous!
Book it, baby. Those islands aren’t gonna come to you. In addition to the raw beauty, you will love the food. Every eating establishment is like having a meal at someone’s house. The food is so much more vibrant than we’re used to. The color of the fruit and veggies are incredible. The only downside. Greek wine is gutter piss.
Surf’s up!
Every cloud has its silver lining, Bing. Think of all the archeological digs future generations will have available.
JeffS, what archeological significance will IOUs have?
I was thinking of the protest signs, empty wine bottles, and expended gas grenades.
IOUs, meh, they are so 54 B.C.
Mt. Fuji may be waking up again, too.
Aw jeesh, John.
Poor Japan can’t catch a break.
Might like to read Pliny’s (The Younger) eye-witness account of the Vesuvius eruption, 79AD…
http://www.smatch-international.org/PlinyLetters.html