Imagine what the Minoans saw if they ever tried to come back to their beloved island a couple of weeks after the eruption. There would have been ash everywhere, ash that would have been too hot to walk on. The whole ocean would have had a layer of pumice floating on it, which would have prevented the Minoans from visiting their home. The whole landscape changed dramatically, and would have been unrecognizable. The Minoans probably turned right around when they saw this. (Read Katie’s last blog to learn about why they left). I always like to imagine what their reactions would have been when they saw what happened. Maybe they didn’t know what even happened in the first place? Maybe they had an idea, and knew it was a smart idea never to return? Whatever did happen, the effects of the Minoan eruption intrigue me. Studying the volcano eruption is like the climax of the story, and researching the global effects is the ending. Continue reading “Around the World”

At first, I don’t see it. I look up and down the massive outcrop of pumice, ash, and lithic fragments that were launched from the volcanic vent during the Minoan eruption over the years and I still don’t see it. It wasn’t until my partner, Ray, pointed it out that I finally notice it: an odd, cluster of rocks that don’t match the rest. Lisa, our instructor, wanted us to try to figure it out before she told us the story behind the rocks. She left my partner and I to think about it while we started our stratigraphic section.

Continue reading “The River Before The Chaos”