Santorini Island volcano eruption: Santorini, a tourist paradise in Greece, was created centuries ago by a volcanic eruption. Now, it is feared that another such underwater volcanic eruption could destroy it. Scientists have rushed to the island, famous for its turquoise waters, white village huts, and intricate pathways, to help find out when such a disaster could happen.

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Santorini underwater volcano: Scientists search for clues beneath the paradise

Santorni Island sits atop one of the world's most volatile volcanic hotspots, with fears that it could erupt more violently than ever before. The island is formed after an underwater volcanic eruption in 1600 BC.

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The tranquil island draws in millions of tourists every year, raking in millions of euros in revenue for Greece.

But the recent series of earthquakes has made its 11,000 inhabitants, including long-stay tourists, scared, with many of them fleeing the island.

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But the local residents are no strangers to Santorini earthquake tremors.

Why is Santoniri prone to quakes? The unique geographic formation of the Caldera

Below the Santoniri island are two tectonic plates grinding against each other. This makes the area prone to tremors. 

Santorini sits atop a caldera, which is a bowl-shaped depression formed when a volcano collapses into itself after a large eruption, emptying the magma chamber. The caldera in the island is part of the Christiana-Santorini-Kolumbo volcanic field.

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Santorini is located near two volcanoes. One of them,  Nea Kameni, is an islet within the caldera. The second one is Kolumbo, an underwater volcano northeast of the island. Nea Kameni and Palea Kameni are volcanic islands within the Santorini caldera.

Scientists rush to Santoniri to predict the next major seismic activity

Can scientists predict when the 'major one' will happen in Santoniri?  The research vessel from Britain, RRS Discovery, is trying to answer that question.

A team of 22 scientists from across the world are in that vessel, examining activity deep under the calm waters of Santoniri.

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Scientists like Professor Isobel Yeo, who is an expert on dangerous underwater volcanoes, are collecting rock samples and studying them to help predict future volcanic and seismic activity. 

They are studying the underwater caldera, which was the reason for the unique crescent shape of the island.

How risky could the next eruption be at Santorini?

Santorini Island is no stranger to underwater volcanic activity. It witnessed the last eruption in 1950. Since then, there has been seismic unrest. It came to worrying levels in 2012.

Underwater volcanoes can be devastating, as was seen in the Tonga eruption-earthquake-tsunami.

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Scientists are trying to make a warning on volcanic eruption in Santorini much in advance so that the island can be evacuated in time. This is particularly pertinent in the wake of the devastating 2022 Hunga Tonga underwater volcanic eruption. Shockwaves from the resultant earthquake of the Tonga eruption were felt around the globe.

“Underwater volcanoes can be far more destructive than we think,” Prof Yeo said in a story on the BBC.

How scientists are studying the Greek island's submerged volcanoes

For the scientists, it's a race against time: Find out when the volcano could erupt, while being at a safe distance from it.

Robots have been dispatched to study the underwater volcanoes, Kolombo and Santorini caledra.

They gather data from the ocean floor, including the hydrothermal vents and underwater cracks where magma from volcanoes could mix with seawater.

According to the BBC report, the scientists are working 12-hour shifts and doing various experiments, non-stop.

An economy based on tourism will be wiped away if a volcano erupts on Santorini

For years, the villagers of Santoniri have depended on tourism. But recent quakes have led to a slowdown for the industry. 

The BBC cited local photographer Eva Rendl, who noted that her wedding photography business has seen a fall in bookings.

But tourists are still flocking to the area, perhaps taking advantage of the lower prices, and even posing for photos near the volcano that could fume into action someday.

There is no 'if' about it, as the next eruption will happen sooner rather than later.

But this time, the scientists are not leaving the fate of the island's inhabitants to chance.

And Santorini will hopefully not suffer human casualties if the warning comes sufficiently in advance.