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Geophys. J. Int. (2001) 144, 731
Book review
Fire in the sea: the Santorini volcano: natural history and the
legend of Atlantis
Walter L. Friedrich, translated by Alexander R. McBirney,
Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2000, 258 pp., ISBN
0521 65290 1, Hardback, £19.95
Santorini has long appealed to scholars of many different
backgrounds: archaeologists, geologists, artists and historians
to name a few. To a volcanologist, it is the site of one of the
most violent eruptions in mankind's history. Around 1600 BC,
after a long period of dormancy, Santorini exploded with a
blast of such force that it transformed the single volcanic cone
into the broken circle of small islands that tourists visit today.
It may surprise many to know that the volcano's last eruption
happened as recently as 1950, but this event consisted of gentle
outpourings of lava in the island of Nea Kameni. Visitors
today are drawn to this tiny island, known locally as `the
volcano' because of its lunar-like landscape and active steam
vents. However, the archipelago's major visitor attraction is
Akrotiri, a Minoan city that was overwhelmed by Santorini's
great eruption. The archaeological excavations are at least as
fascinating as those of Pompeii.
Friedrich's big, colourful book is an ideal introduction to
Santorini because it combines history, geology, archaeology
and natural history. It gives a scienti®cally accurate account of
the eruption as glimpsed from decades of research and discusses
the fascinating legend of Atlantis. Santorini is considered by
some to be the truth behind the myth, as the cataclysmic
eruption could have indeed submerged an island empire beneath
the water in a single day and night. There is some evidence,
which is discussed in this book, that the eruption and the
tsunami it caused contributed to the downfall of the Minoan
civilization. The lore associated with Santorini does not stop
there. There have been suggestions that the vast quantities of
ash that the eruption injected into the atmosphere could have
caused Egypt's plague of darkness that is discussed in the Bible.
Truth or lore, the many studies of the eruption are fascinating
to read about.
# 2001
RAS
This book attempts to cover a lot about Santorini and it
succeeds at a level that is satisfying to non-experts and serves
the purpose of a review to experts. The profuse illustrations are
superb and include cross-sections, maps and diagrams rarely
found in colour in other works. The text is divided into parts
that discuss different but related aspects of the island. Part 1
covers the geography and geological framework, including the
tectonic setting. Part 2 discusses the Minoan eruption and its
effects and includes a discussion on dating methods used to
pinpoint the date of the eruption. Part 3, optimistically named
`The volcano releases its secret', takes us through the different
disciplinesÐgeology, archaeology and historyÐthat helped to
piece together our current understanding of the eruption and
of the people who inhabited the island prior to the disaster. The
book's last part is about how the island is changing up to the
present day, what recent eruptions have been like and what
today's volcanic hazards are. This includes a discussion on
the current monitoring work being carried out in Santorini.
The last section is very appropriately entitled `Volcanoes are
unpredictable'.
Santorini will always be one of the world's most fascinating
places for volcanologists. Friedrich does his best to ensure that
all readers ®nd some aspect of this island that will hold a strong
appeal to them. If I have one quibble it is that the author
somewhat short-changed the artistic ®ndings. The Akrotiri
frescoes are some of the most beautiful left to us by an ancient
civilization and their reconstruction, piece by tiny piece, is
a remarkable endeavour that continues to the present day.
However, Santorini is such a rich treasury of science and history
that no book can do justice to all that deserves discussion.
Friedrich has given us a beautiful and stimulating volume that I
have no hesitation to recommend. I very much enjoyed this
book and the many pleasant memories of this lovely island that
it brought back.
Rosaly Lopes-Gautier
Jet Propulsion Laboratory,
Pasadena, CA, USA
731