Gods and MythologyTo explain these eruptions, they told stories about the god Hephaestus (hi-FES-tuhs), who lived underground. The fire and lava that poured out of volcanoes, the Greeks said, came from the huge fires of the god's forge.
Why do some countries have volcanoes?
Sometimes, the plates collide with one another or move apart. Volcanoes are most common in these geologically active boundaries. The two types of plate boundaries that are most likely to produce volcanic activity are divergent plate boundaries and convergent plate boundaries.
What volcano destroyed Greece?
TheraThe enormous eruption of the submarine volcano at the Greek island of Thera (Santorini) during the Bronze Age, around 1500 BC, is such a natural hazard. The tsunami generated by the eruption, literally wiped out the peace-loving Minoan civilization who inhabited the island of Crete.
What did Greeks call volcanoes?
The Greek word used to describe volcanoes was etna, or hiera, after Heracles, the son of Zeus.
Why do islands have volcanoes?
In areas where the plates come together, sometimes volcanoes will form. Volcanoes can also form in the middle of a plate, where magma rises upward until it erupts on the seafloor, at what is called a “hot spot.” The Hawaiian Islands were formed by such a hot spot occurring in the middle of the Pacific Plate.
Does Greece have a lot of volcanoes?
Volcanoes in GreeceThe worst volcanic eruption in terms of deaths, destroyed houses and financial damages happened on 09/26/1650 with the eruption of "Santorini". Here, 120 people died. Out of 6 volcanos in Greece, 3 are considered still active. Additionally there is one active submarine volcano off the coast.
What country has most volcanoes?
IndonesiaIndonesia is a volcanically active country, containing numerous major volcanoes. It has the most volcanoes of any country in the world, with 76 volcanoes that have erupted at least 1,171 times in total within historical times.
What is the main purpose of volcanoes?
Global Cooling:Volcanoes also play a vital role in periodically cooling off the planet. When volcanic ash and compounds like sulfur dioxide are released into the atmosphere, it can reflect some of the Sun's rays back into space, thereby reducing the amount of heat energy absorbed by the atmosphere.
Why does Greece have volcanoes?
Which Greek island blew up?
The Greek island of Santorini (named Thera in ancient times) is located in the Aegean Sea and experienced a massive volcanic eruption some 3,600 y ago (∼1600 BCE). Recent geological investigations have concluded that the eruption was even more massive than originally thought (1).
Which Greek island has an extinct volcano?
Santorini islandThe caldera wall of Santorini island. The caldera of Santorini lies in the center of the Christiana-Santorini-Kolumbo volcanic field, which comprises the extinct Christiana Volcano, the Santorini Caldera, the polygenetic submarine Kolumbo Volcano, as well as the Kolumbo Volcanic Chain.
What Greek volcano exploded?
eruption of Thera, devastating Bronze Age eruption of a long-dormant volcano on the Aegean island of Thera, about 70 miles (110 km) north of Crete. Earthquakes, perhaps contemporaneous with the eruption, shattered Knossos and damaged other settlements in northern Crete.
Which Greek site was ruined by a volcano?
The enormous volcanic eruption that destroyed the settlement of Akrotiri took place around 1,650 B.C. The entire town was covered with ashes and lava, which preserved Akrotiri almost intact through time.
What island was created by a volcano?
A NASA satellite has spotted a newly formed island off the coast of Japan that experienced a fiery birth at the end of October. The joint NASA/U.S. Geological Survey satellite Landsat-9 saw the island rise from the sea off the coast of Iwo Jima island, part of the Volcano Islands archipelago in south Japan, on Nov. 3.
Can a volcano destroy an island?
An island near Tonga that emerged from the ocean in 2015 was teeming with unique life-forms, but the 21st century's largest volcanic eruption completely obliterated it, a new study has revealed. The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai island emerged from the Pacific Ocean due to volcanic activity in 2014 and 2015.
Which Greek island sunk by volcano?
The Minoan eruption was a catastrophic volcanic eruption that devastated the Aegean island of Thera (also called Santorini) circa 1600 BCE.
What country has 33 volcanoes?
Iceland has 33 volcanic systems currently considered active, the highest number in Europe. It has an eruption every five years on average. The North Atlantic island straddles the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a crack in the ocean floor separating the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates.
What country has 0 volcanoes?
On our planet, there are many countries that do not have Volcanoes in their country. such countries which do not have volcanoes are Nigeria, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Djibouti, Somalia, Morocco, Tunisia, Liberia, Norway, Denmark, Wales, Finland, Sweden, and Australia.