Open Your Eyes: What is it? Answer

What is it? Answer

The picture that I posted a few days ago underneath the What is it? post is actually small example of what the entire edge of Santorini island is like. What looks like just rock, actually has a very rich and unique history to the island.

During the 2nd millenium BCE (a long, long, LONG time ago), one of the largest volcanic eruptions ever recorded occurred. The eruption is known today as the Minoan or Thera eruption. If you are standing on the main island if Santorini you can see the volcano still standing a couple hundred yards off of the coast. I actually had the opportunity to hike the volcano (which is still active) while I was over there. It takes several hours to hike and looks like a massive black island.

To put the force of the eruption into perspective, the Minoan eruption was 100 TIMES GREATER than the Mt St Helens eruption. The Minoan eruption destroyed everything in its path including what many to believe is the lost city of Atlantis that Plato described. The eruption essentially blew up the island into many small islands. This is why Santorini is now in a half-moon shape.

If you look at the picture, you will notice many holes in the side of the rock. The holes were actually caused from the blast of the eruption and the hot lava seeping into the rock. The different colors on the stone are remnants from the ash and what was left behind after the eruption.

Until last summer, I never realized just how fascinating rocks or the nature around us could be. What looks like just your basic rock actually tells the story of one of the most fascinating civilizations in the ancient world. I hope all of you have a chance to visit Santorini and the volcano one day. Every moment in Greece is eye opening because of the rich history that you stumble upon on every path.

I encourage you to research more about the volcano eruption and the theory of Plato's Atlantis!