Kolumbo

About Kolumbo

The submarine Kolumbo volcano is about 15 km NE of the center of the Santorini caldera. Although previously considered to be part of a volcanic field associated with Santorini along a fault zone, Klaver et al. (2016) concluded that Kolumbo was a distinct volcanic system with "a deep differentiation history" based on "a signature of high 208Pb/206Pb compared to Santorini". A strong eruption during September-November 1650 CE killed over 60 people, along with livestock, due to toxic gas emissions; ashfall reached mainland Turkey, and an island of pumice rose above sea level but was rapidly eroded. Klaver et al. (2016) describe the current crater as roughly oval-shaped with a diameter of ~1.7 km, with the crater floor at 500 m below sea level, and the highest point of the crater rim at -18 m. A chain of 19 smaller volcanic features extends ~10 km NE from this primary crater.