Abstract
THE explosive eruption of Santorini volcano in the Aegean Sea about 3,300 years ago is of considerable archaeological and volcanological significance1–5. Here we report the discovery of tephra from this Minoan event in laminated sediments of the Black Sea. This finding provides constraints on the distribution of debris from the eruption. We estimate a minimum fallout area of 2×l06 km2 extending from the Black Sea in the north to the southeastern Mediterranean Sea. The main dispersal axis trends through southern Turkey, in agreement with other studies of Minoan tephra6,7. The tephra deposits should provide a useful reference horizon for assessing the chronology of Black Sea sediments, which has been much debated8–15.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Marinatos, S. Antiquity 13, 425–439 (1939).
Manning, S. W. in Thera and the Aegean World III (ed. Hardy, D. H.) 29–41 (Thera Foundation, London, 1990).
Kunilholm, P. I. in Thera and the Aegean World III (ed. Hardy, D. H.) 13–18 (Thera Foundation, London, 1990).
Watkins, N. D., Sparks, R. S. J., Sigurdsson, H., Huang, T. C. & Federman, A. Nature 271, 122–126 (1978).
Sparks, R. S. J. & Wilson, C. J. N. in Thera and the Aegean World III (ed. Hardy, D. H.) 89–99 (Thera Foundation, London, 1990).
Sigurdsson, H., Carey, S. & Devine, J. in Thera and the Aegean World III (ed. Hardy, D. H.) 100–112 (Thera Foundation, London, 1990).
Pyle, D. in Thera and the Aegean World III (ed. Hardy, D. H.) 113–121 (Thera Foundation, London, 1990).
Ross, D. A., Degens, E. T. & Macllvaine, J. Science 170, 163–165 (1970).
Ross, D. A. & Degens, E. T. in The Black Sea: Geology, Chemistry and Biology (eds Ross, D. A. & Degens, E. T.) 183–199 (Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol. Mem., 1974).
Degens, E. T. et al. Neues Jb. Geol. paläeontol. Monat. 5, 65–86 (1980).
Calvert, S. E., Karlin, R. E., Toolin, L. J., Donahue, D. J. & Southon, J. R. Nature 350, 692–695 (1991).
Jones, G. A. Radiocarbon 33, 211–213 (1991).
Crusius, J. & Anderson, R. F. Paleoceanography 7, 215–227 (1992).
Crusius, J. & Anderson, R. F. Geochim. cosmochim. Acta 55, 327–333 (1991).
Hay, B. J., Arthus, M. A., Dean, W. E., Neff, E. D. & Honjo, S. Deep-Sea Res. 38, Suppl. 2A, S1211–S1235 (1991).
Friedrich, W., Wagner, P. & Tauber, H. in Thera and the Aegean World III (ed. Hardy, D. H.) 188–196 (Thera Foundation, London, 1990).
Bard, E. Paleoceanography 3, 635–645 (1988).
Calvert, S. E. & Fontugne, M. R. Chem. Geol. (Isotope Geosci. Section) 66, 315–322 (1987).
Innocenti, F., Mazzuoli, R., Pasquare, G., Radicati di Brozolo, F. & Villari, L. Geol. Mag. 112, 349–360 (1975).
Keller, J. in Tephra Studies (eds Self, R. S. J. S. & Sparks, S.) 227–244 (Reidel, Dordrecht, 1981).
Keller, J., Rehren, T. H. & Stadlbauer, E. in Thera and the Aegean World III (ed. Hardy, D. H.) 13–26 (Thera Foundation, London, 1990).
Paterne, M., Guichard, F., & Labeyrie, J. J. Volcan. geotherm. Res. 34, 153–172 (1988).
Calvert, S. E., Vogel, J. S. & Southon, J. R. Geology 15, 918–921 (1987).
Federman, A. N. & Carey, S. Quat. Res. 13, 160–171 (1980).
Innocenti, F., Mazzuoli, R., Pasquare, G., Serri, G. & Villari, L. Geol. Rundsch. 69, 292–322 (1980).
Aydar, E. Les Laves du Quaternaire de Cappadoce (Turquie): Volcanologie et Petrologie (Mémoire DEA, Clerrnont-Ferrand Univ. 1989).
Pearce, J. A. et al. J. Volcan. geotherm. Res. 44, 189–229 (1990).
Woods, A. W. & Wohletz, K. Nature 350, 225–227 (1991).
Stanley, D. J. & Sheng, H. Nature 320, 733–735 (1985).
Jouanneau, J.-M. Mar. Chem. 21, 189–197 (1987).
Murray, J. W., Top, Z. & Ozsoy, Z. Deep-Sea Res. 38, suppl. 2A, S663–S689 (1991).
Boudreau, B. P. & Leblond, P. H. Paleoceanography 4, 157–166 (1989).
Sullivan, D. G. Nature 333, 552–554 (1988).
Honjo, S. et al. Cruise Rep. R. V. Knorr 138-4, Leg 1 April 16–May 17, 1988; and Piri Reis Int. Contrib. Series No.6. (1988).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Guichard, F., Carey, S., Arthur, M. et al. Tephra from the Minoan eruption of Santorini in sediments of the Black Sea. Nature 363, 610–612 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1038/363610a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/363610a0
This article is cited by
-
Application of machine-learning algorithms for tephrochronology: a case study of Plio-Quaternary volcanic fields in the South Aegean Active Volcanic Arc
Earth Science Informatics (2022)
-
Quantifying uncertainties in the measurement of tephra fall thickness
Journal of Applied Volcanology (2013)
-
Geochemical correlation of archaeological sites using tephra from the Minoan eruption
Czechoslovak Journal of Physics (2003)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.