![\"Santorini](\"https:\/\/www.ekathimerini.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/santorini_geo_1_cropped-320x200.jpg?v=1632490656\")
\n <\/source><\/picture>\n
The field comprises the volcanic islets of Christina and Nea and Palia Kammeni, the underwater Kolumbo volcano that last erupted in 1650, and the caldera created by an eruption in the late Bronze Age.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
Recent seismic activity in Santorini has sparked concerns about a potential volcanic eruption. However, seismologists Dimitris Papanikolaou and Kostas Papazachos clarified that the region is not facing the formation of a new volcano. Both the Kameni and Kolumbo volcanoes, they stressed, are not involved in the current seismic events.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is an unprecedented phenomenon,\u201d Papanikolaou stated, explaining that the seismic sequence, with fluctuations in intensity, could persist for months. \u201cWe are continuously analyzing data,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Papanikolaou described magmatic processes as the movement of magma from deep beneath the Earth\u2019s surface rising toward the crust, though it rarely reaches the surface to form volcanoes. \u201cThe chances of a new volcano forming are extremely rare,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Papazachos compared the crust to an egg, with magma attempting to break through in certain places, forming volcanoes. In other areas, the shell is too tough for the magma to penetrate.<\/p>\n
Papanikolaou dismissed rumors of a volcanic eruption, stating: \u201cThere is no chance of a volcanic eruption right now. Both volcanoes are calm.\u201d He emphasized that while magma intrusion occurs at depths greater than 5 kilometers, it is unlikely to cause an eruption.<\/p>\n
Regarding the ongoing seismic activity, the experts explained that it is caused by a combination of magmatic and tectonic forces. \u201cThe earthquakes are at a very deep depth,\u201d Papazachos noted.<\/p>\n
Some ground deformation has been observed, including a rise of up to 4 centimeters in the caldera. \u201cWe have many volcanic earthquakes. We had them in 2011 and also this past fall. Tectonic earthquakes are a constant in Greece. Now we are dealing with a different phenomenon that we are studying, which is related to magma intrusion, and that\u2019s why we are talking about tectono-magmatism. Otherwise, we would be talking about tectono-volcanism,\u201d Papanikolaou said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n