by Victoria Jaggard, Executive Editor
September 25, 2025: A black hole defies expectations, the keto diet may have long-term risks and physics throws a curve at pro baseball. But first …
Two of Greece’s most dangerous volcanoes share an underground link
When an earthquake swarm rattled the island of Santorini earlier this year, Greek officials braced for the worst, since the quakes could have been harbingers of a volcanic eruption. No blast of lava ensued, but as Carolyn Gramling reports, the quakes did provide scientists with fresh data about the island’s fiery inner workings. Their analysis revealed that the magmatic plumbing feeding the Santorini volcano may also be supplying an underwater volcano called Kolumbo.
Why the fuss about Santorini? Among the world’s known volcanoes, Santorini stands out because it likely caused the fall of an entire civilization. A devastating eruption in 1560 B.C. triggered widespread damage that contributed to the end of the Minoans. Santorini is still active today, and a similar event would not bode well for the region’s modern inhabitants. Kolumbo is also an active threat, Gramling notes, with an eruption as recent as 1650.
What does this magma link mean? Since both Santorini and Kolumbo pose risks, they are each monitored for signs of impending activity. Quake swarms, for example, can signal an eruption is coming and provide enough advance warning for evacuations. But this newfound link complicates the picture, which means officials may need to invest in improved, high-resolution monitoring systems to help keep people safe.
