The steep inner walls of Santorini drop steeply into the caldera bay. Pyroclastic flow deposits from four caldera-forming eruptions dating back to 100,000 years ago are exposed in the caldera walls in this N-looking view. The youngest caldera was formed about 3,500 years ago during the Minoan eruption of Santorini. The flat-topped peak on the left skyline is Skaros, a remnant of a shield volcano constructed within a previous caldera.

Photo by Lee Siebert, 1994 (Smithsonian Institution).

This image is made available under the Public Domain Dedication CC0 license, but proper attribution is appreciated.

Galleries: Volcanic Outcrops

Keywords: caldera | outcrop | geology | deposit

Santorini