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Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Photo: "Atlantis" Eruption Twice as Big as Previously Believed, Study Suggests


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Greece's Santorini archipelago is seen here in a 2000 satellite image, with the largest island, Thera, on the right. The ancient eruption of Santorini—once a single island—released so much magma that it caused the volcano's center to collapse.

After conducting a seismic survey of the area's seabeds, a team of scientists has concluded that the Santorini eruption was up to twice as massive as previously believed. If correct, the eruption—which probably wiped out the neighboring Minoan civilization and may have given rise to the myth of Atlantis—would be the second largest known eruption in human history.

Image courtesy NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team