Volcanism along the South Aegean volcanic arc began about 4.7 Ma and has lasted until the present day, with eruptions at Methana, Milos, Santorini, Kolumbo and Nisyros volcanoes in historical times. These volcanoes can be grouped into five volcanic fields: three western fields of small, mostly monogenetic edifices, and two central/eastern fields with composite cones and calderas that have produced large explosive eruptions. Crustal tectonics exerts a strong control over the locations of edifices and vents at all five volcanic fields. Tephra and cryptotephra layers in deep-marine sediments preserve a continuous record of arc volcanism in the Aegean as far back as 200,000 years. Hazards from the volcanoes include high ash plumes, pyroclastic flows and tsunamis. Monitoring networks should be improved and expanded.
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Research Article|
June 01, 2019
Volcanism of the South Aegean Volcanic Arc
Georges E. Vougioukalakis;
Institute for Geology and Mineral Exploration, 3rd exit Olympic Village, 13677, Aharne, Athens, Greece
E-mail: gvoug@igme.gr
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Christopher G. Satow;
Department of Social Sciences, Gibbs Building, Oxford Brookes University, Headington Road, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK
E-mail: csatow@brookes.ac.uk
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Timothy H. Druitt
Clermont Auvergne University, CNRS, IRD, OPGC, Laboratory Magmas-Volcanoes, F-63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France
E-mail: tim.druitt@uca.fr
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Elements (2019) 15 (3): 159–164.
Article history
first online:
18 Jul 2019
Citation
Georges E. Vougioukalakis, Christopher G. Satow, Timothy H. Druitt; Volcanism of the South Aegean Volcanic Arc. Elements 2019;; 15 (3): 159–164. doi: https://doi.org/10.2138/gselements.15.3.159
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Index Terms/Descriptors
- Aegean Islands
- Aegina
- calderas
- Cenozoic
- Cyclades
- eruptions
- Europe
- explosive eruptions
- geologic hazards
- Greece
- Greek Aegean Islands
- igneous rocks
- Kos
- Mediterranean region
- Milos
- natural hazards
- natural resources
- pyroclastics
- Quaternary
- Southern Europe
- Sterea Ellas
- tectonics
- tephrostratigraphy
- Thera
- upper Quaternary
- vents
- volcanic features
- volcanic fields
- volcanic rocks
- volcanism
- volcanoes
- Methana
- Nisyros
- Sousaki
- South Aegean volcanic arc
- Kolumbo
- volcanic arcs
Latitude & Longitude