ISMOSAV’s lecture on Santorini’s Volcano addressed to foreign visitors

The ISMOSAV (Institute for the Study and Monitoring of the Santorini Volcano) will present an open lecture on Sunday, February 7th at 18:30, at the Belloneio Cultural Centre, Fira on “The South Aegean Volcanic Arc. The volcano of Santorini and the Minoan civilization”.

The professor of Geology Department of AUTH (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki) Mr. Spiros Pavlidis will be the keynote speaker. He will be introduced by the President of ISMOSAV, Emeritus Professor of AUTH Mr. Michael Fytikas. The lecture will be in English, mainly addressed to foreign visitors of the island.

The speech describes the geodynamic characteristics in the southern Aegean Sea, the volcanic activity of the Active Volcanic Arc of Southern Aegean, with particular emphasis on the structure and activity of the uniquely scientific interest and beauty volcanic edifice of Thera-Santorini-Kallisti.

Characteristic images of volcanic structures of the walls of the caldera, forming an “open Geology book”, as well as the active volcanic centers of historical eruptions will be presented during the lecture.

The largest volcanic eruption on a global scale, of the last 5,000 years, known as Minoan of 1613 BC will also be described in details. There is a debate on the consequences of that explosion in the wonderful culture of the Bronze Age that was developed both in Thera (Santorini) and the Island of Crete. The question that arises, consequently, is in what extent this biblical disaster affected the Bronze Age Minoan culture.

The entrance is free.