Almost 400 years ago, the Kolumbo submarine volcano, situated within the Mediterranean Sea, erupted and shattered the Santorini island. Now, specialists have discovered a previously unknown magma chamber situated underneath this volcano. Live Science notes how this chamber is capable of leading to another huge eruption within 150 years.
Kolumbo Submarine Volcano
The Kolumbo volcano is located around 4 miles from Santorini. It is also situated 1,640 feet under the surface of the ocean. Phys notes that Kolumbo is an active submarine volcano. In fact, it is among the world's most active ones.
Historical accounts show that its eruption way back in 1650 A.D. led to the deaths of around 70 individuals.
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Magma Chamber Under Kolumbo That Could Lead to Another Devastating Eruption
Now, a study included in the Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems journal shows that a magma chamber is proliferating under this active submarine volcano. Moreover, another devastating eruption could take place and endanger Santorini tourists and residents.
Volcanoes that are situated under the sea are monitored like the ones on land. However, installing seismometers underwater is quite difficult. There are also fewer seismometers installed under the sea, which indicates that undersea volcanic data is less abundant. To overcome this issue, scientists have tried to use a different method of studying Kolumbo's mechanisms.
More specifically, the specialists utilized an approach known as full-waveform inversion. Such a technique uses seismic waves that are artificially made in order to come up with a high-resolution image that reflects the softness and rigidity of the underground rock.
Imperial College of London volcanologist and co-author Michele Paulatto notes how such a method is like a medical ultrasound. The sound waves are used to create an image of the volcano's underground or undersea structure.
Depending on the rock rigidity through which they pass, seismic waves move at varying speeds. For instance, a seismic wave known as the P-wave moves slower if the rock is more fluid-like compared to a solid one. By generating data regarding seismic wave velocity as they move through the ground, specialists can learn more about where the magma forms.
As they were riding a research cruise close to the volcano, the scientists fired an air gun that induced seismic waves. These waves were gauged by seafloor monitors.
Seismic documentation revealed plummeting velocities under the volcano. This showed that a magma chamber was indeed present and that it was not just a solid rock.
Further computations showed that the chamber grew by 141 million cubic feet each year ever since it erupted in 1650. The team discovered that the chamber currently has around 1.41 cubic kilometers worth of magma.
Geophysicist and first study author Kajetan Chrapkiewicz notes that the magma volume could reach up to half a cubic mile in the coming 150 years. This was the projected amount of magma that the Kolumbo expelled almost four centuries ago.
The study shows the importance of monitoring submarine volcanoes. In contrast to earthquakes, these eruptions can be predicted to a certain degree. However, this can only be done if data regarding magma movement is sufficient.
Chrapkiewicz notes how there is a need to generate more data regarding what's lying beneath these submarine volcanoes. Monitoring such systems continuously will enable a better projection of an eruption. With such systems in place, it may be possible to know about an eruption even just a few days before it takes place. This could help protect people as they may have enough time to evacuate.
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