Post-eruptive flooding of Santorini caldera and implications for tsunami generation

P. Nomikou; T. H. Druitt; C. Hübscher; T. A. Mather; M. Paulatto; Lara Kalnins; K. Kelfoun; D. Papanikolaou; K. Bejelou; D. Lampridou; D. M. Pyle; S. Carey; A. B.  Watts; B. Weiß; M. M. Parks

doi:10.1038/ncomms13332

Post-eruptive flooding of Santorini caldera and implications for tsunami generation

P. Nomikou, T. H. Druitt, C. Hübscher, T. A. Mather, M. Paulatto, Lara Kalnins, K. Kelfoun, D. Papanikolaou, K. Bejelou, D. Lampridou, D. M. Pyle, S. Carey, A. B. Watts, B. Weiß, M. M. Parks

School of Geosciences

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Abstract

Caldera-forming eruptions of island volcanoes generate tsunamis by the interaction of different eruptive phenomena with the sea. Such tsunamis are a major hazard, but forward models of their impacts are limited by poor understanding of source mechanisms. The caldera-forming eruption of Santorini in the Late Bronze Age is known to have been tsunamigenic, and caldera collapse has been proposed as a mechanism. Here, we present bathymetric and seismic evidence showing that the caldera was not open to the sea during the main phase of the eruption, but was flooded once the eruption had finished. Inflow of water and associated landsliding cut a deep, 2.0–2.5 km3, submarine channel, thus filling the caldera in less than a couple of days. If, as at most such volcanoes, caldera collapse occurred syn-eruptively, then it cannot have generated tsunamis. Entry of pyroclastic flows into the sea, combined with slumping of submarine pyroclastic accumulations, were the main mechanisms of tsunami production.

Original language	English
Article number	13332
Journal	Nature Communications
Volume	7
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms13332 https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms13332
Publication status	Published - 8 Nov 2016

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Lara Kalnins
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Nomikou, P., Druitt, T. H., Hübscher, C., Mather, T. A., Paulatto, M., Kalnins, L., Kelfoun, K., Papanikolaou, D., Bejelou, K., Lampridou, D., Pyle, D. M., Carey, S., Watts, A. B., Weiß, B., & Parks, M. M. (2016). Post-eruptive flooding of Santorini caldera and implications for tsunami generation. Nature Communications, 7, Article 13332. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms13332, https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms13332

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title = "Post-eruptive flooding of Santorini caldera and implications for tsunami generation",

abstract = "Caldera-forming eruptions of island volcanoes generate tsunamis by the interaction of different eruptive phenomena with the sea. Such tsunamis are a major hazard, but forward models of their impacts are limited by poor understanding of source mechanisms. The caldera-forming eruption of Santorini in the Late Bronze Age is known to have been tsunamigenic, and caldera collapse has been proposed as a mechanism. Here, we present bathymetric and seismic evidence showing that the caldera was not open to the sea during the main phase of the eruption, but was flooded once the eruption had finished. Inflow of water and associated landsliding cut a deep, 2.0–2.5 km3, submarine channel, thus filling the caldera in less than a couple of days. If, as at most such volcanoes, caldera collapse occurred syn-eruptively, then it cannot have generated tsunamis. Entry of pyroclastic flows into the sea, combined with slumping of submarine pyroclastic accumulations, were the main mechanisms of tsunami production.",

author = "P. Nomikou and Druitt, {T. H.} and C. H{\"u}bscher and Mather, {T. A.} and M. Paulatto and Lara Kalnins and K. Kelfoun and D. Papanikolaou and K. Bejelou and D. Lampridou and Pyle, {D. M.} and S. Carey and Watts, {A. B.} and B. Wei{\ss} and Parks, {M. M.}",

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Nomikou, P, Druitt, TH, Hübscher, C, Mather, TA, Paulatto, M, Kalnins, L, Kelfoun, K, Papanikolaou, D, Bejelou, K, Lampridou, D, Pyle, DM, Carey, S, Watts, AB, Weiß, B & Parks, MM 2016, 'Post-eruptive flooding of Santorini caldera and implications for tsunami generation', Nature Communications, vol. 7, 13332. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms13332, https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms13332

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T1 - Post-eruptive flooding of Santorini caldera and implications for tsunami generation

AU - Nomikou, P.

AU - Druitt, T. H.

AU - Hübscher, C.

AU - Mather, T. A.

AU - Paulatto, M.

AU - Kalnins, Lara

AU - Kelfoun, K.

AU - Papanikolaou, D.

AU - Bejelou, K.

AU - Lampridou, D.

AU - Pyle, D. M.

AU - Carey, S.

AU - Watts, A. B.

AU - Weiß, B.

AU - Parks, M. M.

PY - 2016/11/8

Y1 - 2016/11/8

N2 - Caldera-forming eruptions of island volcanoes generate tsunamis by the interaction of different eruptive phenomena with the sea. Such tsunamis are a major hazard, but forward models of their impacts are limited by poor understanding of source mechanisms. The caldera-forming eruption of Santorini in the Late Bronze Age is known to have been tsunamigenic, and caldera collapse has been proposed as a mechanism. Here, we present bathymetric and seismic evidence showing that the caldera was not open to the sea during the main phase of the eruption, but was flooded once the eruption had finished. Inflow of water and associated landsliding cut a deep, 2.0–2.5 km3, submarine channel, thus filling the caldera in less than a couple of days. If, as at most such volcanoes, caldera collapse occurred syn-eruptively, then it cannot have generated tsunamis. Entry of pyroclastic flows into the sea, combined with slumping of submarine pyroclastic accumulations, were the main mechanisms of tsunami production.

AB - Caldera-forming eruptions of island volcanoes generate tsunamis by the interaction of different eruptive phenomena with the sea. Such tsunamis are a major hazard, but forward models of their impacts are limited by poor understanding of source mechanisms. The caldera-forming eruption of Santorini in the Late Bronze Age is known to have been tsunamigenic, and caldera collapse has been proposed as a mechanism. Here, we present bathymetric and seismic evidence showing that the caldera was not open to the sea during the main phase of the eruption, but was flooded once the eruption had finished. Inflow of water and associated landsliding cut a deep, 2.0–2.5 km3, submarine channel, thus filling the caldera in less than a couple of days. If, as at most such volcanoes, caldera collapse occurred syn-eruptively, then it cannot have generated tsunamis. Entry of pyroclastic flows into the sea, combined with slumping of submarine pyroclastic accumulations, were the main mechanisms of tsunami production.

U2 - 10.1038/ncomms13332

DO - 10.1038/ncomms13332

M3 - Article

SN - 2041-1723

VL - 7

JO - Nature Communications

JF - Nature Communications

M1 - 13332

ER -

Post-eruptive flooding of Santorini caldera and implications for tsunami generation

Abstract

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