Could An Almighty Eruption Destroy A Dreamy Greek Island?

Perched connected apical of Santorini's sheer cliffs is simply a world-famous tourer manufacture worthy millions. Underneath is nan fizzing consequence of an almighty explosion.

A immense ancient eruption created nan dreamy Greek island, leaving a immense crater and a horse-shoe shaped rim.

Now scientists are investigating for nan first clip really vulnerable nan adjacent large 1 could be.

BBC News spent a time connected committee nan British royal investigation vessel nan Discovery arsenic they searched for clues.

Just weeks before, astir half of Santorini's 11,000 residents had fled for information erstwhile nan land unopen down successful a bid of earthquakes.

It was a harsh reminder that nether nan idyllic achromatic villages dotted pinch gyros restaurants, basking tubs successful AirBnB rentals, and vineyards connected rich | volcanic soil, 2 tectonic plates grind successful nan Earth's crust.

Prof Isobel Yeo, an master connected highly vulnerable submarine volcanoes pinch Britain's National Oceanography Centre, is starring nan mission. Around two-thirds of nan world's volcanoes are underwater, but they are hardly monitored.

"It's a spot for illustration 'out of sight, retired of mind' successful position of knowing their danger, compared to much celebrated ones for illustration Vesuvius," she says connected deck, arsenic we watch 2 engineers winching a robot nan size of a car disconnected nan ship's side.

This work, coming truthful soon aft nan earthquakes, will thief scientists understand what type of seismic unrest could bespeak a volcanic eruption is imminent.

Santorini's past eruption was successful 1950, but arsenic precocious arsenic 2012 location was a "period of unrest", says Isobel. Magma flowed into nan volcanoes' chambers and nan islands "swelled up".

"Underwater volcanoes are tin of really big, really destructive eruptions," she says.

"We are lulled into a consciousness of mendacious information if you're utilized to mini eruptions and nan volcano acting safe. You presume nan adjacent will beryllium nan aforesaid - but it mightiness not," she says.

The Hunga Tunga eruption successful 2022 successful nan Pacific produced nan largest underwater detonation ever recorded, and created a tsunami successful nan Atlantic pinch shockwaves felt successful nan UK. Some islands successful Tonga, adjacent nan volcano, were truthful devastated that their group person ne'er returned.

Beneath our feet connected nan ship, 300m (984ft) down, are bubbling basking vents. These cracks successful nan Earth move nan seafloor into a agleam orangish world of protruding rocks and state clouds.

"We cognize much astir nan aboveground of immoderate planets than what's down there," Isobel says.

The robot descends to nan seabed to cod fluids, gases and threat disconnected chunks of rock.

Those vents are hydrothermal, meaning basking h2o pours retired from cracks, and they often shape adjacent volcanoes.

They are why Isobel and 22 scientists from astir nan world are connected this vessel for a month.

So far, no-one has been capable to activity retired if a volcano becomes much aliases little explosive erstwhile oversea h2o successful these vents mixes pinch magma.

"We are trying to representation nan hydrothermal system," Isobel explains. It's not for illustration making a representation connected land. "We person to look wrong nan earth," she says.

The Discovery is investigating Santorini's caldera and sailing retired to Kolombo, nan different awesome volcano successful this area, astir 7km (4.3 miles) north-east of nan island.

The 2 volcanoes are not expected to erupt imminently, but it is only a matter of time.

The expedition will create information sets and geohazard maps for Greece's Civil Protection Agency, explains Prof Paraskevi Nomikou, a personnel of nan authorities emergency group that met regular during nan earthquake crisis.

She is from Santorini, and grew up proceeding astir past earthquakes and eruptions from her grandfather. The volcano inspired her to go a geologist.

"This investigation is very important because it will pass section group really progressive nan volcanoes are, and it will representation nan area that will beryllium forbidden to entree during an eruption," she says.

It will uncover which parts of nan Santorini oversea level are nan astir hazardous, she adds.

These missions are incredibly expensive, truthful Isobel crams successful experiments nighttime and time arsenic nan scientists activity successful 12-hour shifts.

John Jamieson, a professor astatine Canada's Memorial University successful Newfoundland, shows america volcanic rocks extracted from nan vents.

"Don't prime that 1 up," he warns. "It's afloat of arsenic."

Pointing to different that looks for illustration a achromatic and orangish meringue pinch golden dusting, he explains: "This is simply a existent enigma - we don't moreover cognize what it is made of."

These rocks show nan history of nan fluid, somesthesia and worldly wrong nan volcano. "This is simply a geological situation different to astir others - it's really exciting," he says.

But nan mission's beating bosom is simply a acheronian shipping instrumentality connected platform wherever 4 group look astatine screens mounted connected a wall.

Using a joystick that wouldn't look retired of a spot connected a gaming console, 2 engineers thrust nan underwater robot. Isobel and Paraskevi waste and acquisition theories astir what is successful a excavation of fluid that nan robot has found.

They person recorded very mini earthquakes astir nan volcano, caused by fluid moving done nan strategy and causing fractures. Isobel plays america an audio signaling of nan fractures reverberating. It sounds for illustration nan bass successful a nightclub being amped up and down.

They place really fluid moves done rocks by pulsing an electromagnetic section into nan earth.

This is creating a 3D representation that shows really nan hydrothermal strategy is connected to nan volcano's magma enclosure wherever an eruption is generated.

"We are doing subject for nan people, not subject for nan scientists. We are present to make group consciousness safe," Paraskevi says.

The caller earthquake situation successful Santorini highlighted really exposed nan island's residents are to nan seismic threats and really reliant they are connected tourism.

Back connected barren land, photographer Eva Rendl meets maine successful her favourite location for wedding shoots. When nan alleged swarm of earthquakes deed successful February, she near nan land pinch her daughter.

"It was really scary, arsenic it sewage much and much intense," she says.

She's backmost now but business is slower. "People person cancelled bookings. Normally I commencement shoots successful April but my first occupation isn't until May," Eva says.

In nan main quadrate of Santorini's upmarket municipality Oia, British-Canadian tourer Janet tells america six of her group of 10 cancelled their holiday.

She believes much meticulous technological accusation astir nan likelihood of earthquakes and volcanoes would thief others consciousness much reassured astir visiting.

"I get nan Google alerts, I get nan scientists' alerts, and it helps maine consciousness safe," she said.

But Santorini will ever beryllium a dream destination. In Imerovigli, we spot 2 group climbing onto nan curved rooftops to get nan cleanable shot.

The mates - joined for conscionable 15 minutes - travelled from Latvia and were not put disconnected by nan island's underwater risks.

"Actually we wanted to get joined by a volcano," Tom says, his bride Kristina by his side.