Life on the Edge of a Caldera Rim

Living life on the edge is not always just a metaphor. The people of Santorini take this saying to a whole new level as their cities are built upon the caldera rim. This provides for some amazing views and stunning landscapes but it is also subject to devastating mass wasting. A resistant metamorphic rock at the base of stacks of volcanic rocks creates an intense slip surface. These mass wasting events take place and will continue to occur because of the specific type of volcanic rock and their locations throughout the island.
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Jonathan MillsJune 18, 2014February 28, 20151 Comment

Class of 2014, Economy and Natural Resources, Physical Volcanology

Living in the Walls of the Past

Why not create something beautiful out of a catastrophe? In Santorini, it is easy to find many structures built out of the destruction from the Minoan eruption. I have personally witnessed some of the techniques employed to create these domiciles. Through the build up of pumice and ash as results of the volcanic eruption, inhabitants of the island have taken advantage of what they have been given.
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Jonathan MillsJune 12, 2014February 28, 20154 Comments

Class of 2014, Economy and Natural Resources

There is No Bugging This Wine

There is money to be found in the lay of Santorini’s land. For over 4000 years, Santorini has prided itself on the production of a wine that is unique due to its’ harvesting circumstances. In order to generate income to sustain a stable economy, Santorini traded with many different countries: including France and Egypt. The wineries were not the only sources of wine on the island though, as every home contained a wine press. This enabled individuals to produce wine for themselves and excess to sell to the wineries to supplement income for Santorini.
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Jonathan MillsJune 5, 2014February 28, 20153 Comments