The course of the Minoan eruption of Santorini is recorded in this roughly 10-m-thick exposure of deposits produced by the 3,500-year-old eruption. The loosely-compacted basal pinkish layer is composed of early pumice deposited from powerful vertical eruption plumes. It is overlain by lighter-colored, laminated pyroclastic surge deposits that were produced when water was incorporated into the eruption column as caldera collapse began. The thicker, upper unit consists of pyroclastic flow deposits.

Photo by Lee Siebert, 1994 (Smithsonian Institution).

This image is made available under the Public Domain Dedication CC0 license, but proper attribution is appreciated.

Galleries: Volcanic Outcrops

Keywords: caldera | outcrop | geology | deposit

Santorini