Located on the beautiful Greek island of Santorini, the Santorini Decade Volcano is among the world’s most active volcanoes. Although it last erupted in 1956, on Palia Kamini, a neighboring island hot springs are still a popular tourist attraction. Hot springs indicates the Santorini Decade Volcano is producing heat underneath the earth’s surface. Scientist speculate that the volcano could become active in the future although it is not giving indications of emanate activity. Travel insurance is always a wise purchase.

The geology of Santorini indicates that the volcano was active prior to 1600BCE. It was the eruption that occurred in the mid 1600s that shaped the isle today. Estimated to be a 6 on the Volcanic Explosivity Index, the eruption of the Santorini Decade Volcano is thought to be one of the most violent in world history. It destroyed the advanced Minoan civilization that had thrived on the island. Some historians think the explosion of the Santorini Decade Volcano is the origin of the lost city of Atlantis myth. Cheap travel insurance is a good investment to protect your trip to this beautiful island.

The Minoan Explosion covered the island with up to 150 fee of ash and pumice rock. Because of the ash and pumice deposits, even though Santorini has very little rain fall (on average 40 inches a year as opposed to the 400 inches Greece usually receives), due to its fertile soil Santorini is famous for its wines made from island grown grapes.

There is little historic information about eruptions after the Minoan Explosion of the Santorini Decade Volcano until 197BCE. The ancient Greek geographer Strabo recorded volcanic activity at that time. Since then there have been cycles of activity noted in the years 46-47, 726, 1572-1573, 1707-1711, 1866-1870, 1925-1928, 1938-1941 and 1950.

In the 1990s the European Commission provided limited funding for research of 5 active volcanoes. Those chosen were Santorini, Furnas, Piton da la Fournaise, Mt. Etna and Teide. These 5 volcanoes were termed the European Laboratory Volcanoes. The study was conducted concurrent with the UN funded Decade Volcano Initiative. Both studies proposed to provide an international, interdisciplinary study into volcanic activities, disaster management and research in related scientific areas. The European Commission last published its finding in May of 1994.