Santorini Eruption Crisis

This provides a description of Atlantis as it exists today at the mouth of the former Triton River near the Gulf of Gabes in Tunisia.  Destruction of the city by a tidal wave generated by the Thera Volcano occurred on September 7, 1404 BC (Julian calendar).  Plato's description is found to be remarkably accurate.  Surprisingly, there lies at the center of the city a very large carving of the head of Poseidon that is unrecognizable from the ground, but easy to discern from a high elevation.  The canals described by Plato are easily seen.

Matrikelnummer: 0411263 Betreut von: Ao.Univ.-Prof. Mag. Dr.phil. Manfred Lehner im Rahmen des SE 507.010 "Chronologieprobleme" im WS 2012/13 Abbildung 2: Schematische Karte der Ägäis und des östlichen Mittelmeerraumes: Manning 1999, Fig. 1 (mit Erweiterungen) Megiddo Abbildung 3: Schematische Karte der Ägäis und Kreta: Manning 1999, Fig. 2 (erweitert) Ägina Kos Nichoria Manzala See Gölcük I. Einleitung Die Eruption des Vulkans auf der kykladischen Insel Thera 1 in der späten ägäischen Bronzezeit war ein dramatisches Ereignis in geologisch-/vulkanologischer Hinsicht, aber auch in Hinblick auf die Auswirkungen auf die bronzezeitlichen Kulturen auf Thera, Kreta und möglicherweise im gesamten östlichen Mittelmeerraum. Es ist aber auch ein präziser "time marker" 2 und ein Schlüssel für die Chronologie der Bronzezeit in der Ägäis. Der Ausbruch breitete eine Ascheschicht und damit einen klaren Zeithorizont über dem östlichen Mittelmeer aus, der einen terminus ante quem für jede darunterliegende, und einen terminus post quem für jede darüberliegende Schicht bietet. 3 Somit ist die exakte Datierung der Eruption, relativ wie auch absolut, ein Schlüsselproblem, aber auch eine Chance für die Betrachtung der bronzezeitlichen Chronologien im östlichen Mittelmeer. 4 Seine Lösung ist der Schlüssel zu einer sicheren Archäologie. 5 Objekte aus Kreta, Zypern und der Levante können mit Tephra von Thera und mit anderen archäologischen Stätten in Beziehung gesetzt werden und daher könnte ein Datum für den Ausbruch weit über die Ägäis hinaus relevant sein. 6 Doch trotz jahrzehntelanger Forschungen von Archäologen wie auch Naturwissenschaftlern, mehreren Kongressen und Konferenzen 7 und einem eigenen Programm zur Synchronisierung der bronzezeitlichen Kulturen im östlichen Mittelmeer 8 konnte bis heute kein einheitlich anerkanntes Ergebnis erzielt werden. Die lange gültige traditionelle oder auch konventionelle "low chronology" ist heute stark bezweifelt von den Vertretern einer langen oder auch "high chronology". Die Kontroversen über den Zeitpunkt der minoischen Eruption sind somit untrennbar mit der Klärung der Chronologie der späten Bronzezeit verbunden. Die lange Dauer der Debatte, die hohe Zahl der beteiligten Forscher und die noch viel beträchtlichere Zahl an Publikationen rund um den bronzezeitlichen Ausbruch machen es schwierig sich in diese Thematik einzulesen. Ohne ausreichendes Wissen über die historischen Entwicklungen der Datierungsmethoden und ihrer Ergebnisse kann man sich schnell im Dschungel widersprüchlicher Expertenmeinungen und längst überholter oder verworfener Daten verlieren.

The River Nile catchment is considered the major source of nutrient-rich freshwater and sediment draining into the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Thus, exceptional high-resolution record from the Nile Littoral Cell likely traces changes in the Nile outflows related to climatic changes driven by the monsoonal system. This study used multi-proxy analyses combining sedimentological, geochemical and organic stable isotope data along with foraminiferal data in a southeastern Levantine inner shelf sedi-mentary sequence to understand Mid-to Late Holocene northeast African climate variability. The palynological record is used to reconstruct local scale changes in the regional vegetation related to the Mediterranean climate system. The analyzed records reveal multi-decadal to centennial pacing of paleoceanographic and paleoclimatic changes, with most prominent events recorded at 4.28, ~3.6 and at 2.9 kyr BP. These transitional periods characterized by simultaneous high d 15 N values and low total organic carbon (TOC) suggest drier climatic conditions, decrease in Nile discharge, leading to lower nutrient supply. A stable and arid climate during Mid-Late Holocene (~4.5e3.6 cal kyr BP) associated with a weaker monsoon system as well as with a weaker Mediterranean climate system is indicated based on high and constant sedimentation rates (~400 cm kyr À1), along with relatively stable values and only occasional weak fluctuations documented in all of the proxies. This climatic pattern is punctuated by a peak in maximum aridity at 4.28 kyr BP evidenced by low TOC value and low arboreal pollen (AP) and Artemisia/Chenopodiaceae (A/C) pollen ratios and the sharp decline in the abundance of benthic fora-minifera Cribroelphidium poeyanum and Valvulineria bradyana. This change corresponds with the well-studied 4.2 kyr BP drought event in the Middle East, Mesopotamia and south Asia. During the late Holocene (~3.6e2.8 cal. Kyr BP) the climate became unstable characterized by shifts between relatively wetter and drier conditions as evident in considerable fluctuations in all proxies. Maximum positive excursions of TOC values, C/N ratio along with high dominance of opportunistic foraminiferal species (e.g., Ammonia tepida) indicate northeast African wetter conditions and increased Nile discharge at 3.5, 3.3, 3.2 and 3.0 kyr BP. The distinct and abrupt transition from a stable to an unstable climate regime around 3.6 kyr BP may have been influenced by the Thera volcanic eruption. Thus, the sedimentary record investigated in this study may provide evidence for the impacts of this well-known volcanic eruption not just on the climate regime in the Levant but also on the ancient Near East and Egypt.

Cosmic ray exposure (CRE) dating was performed on the caldera cliffs of Santorini with the aim of detecting cliff segments predating the Minoan eruption (17th century BCE). The methodology involved the determination of in situ-produced cosmogenic 36 Cl concentration in basaltic-to-rhyodacitic whole rocks cropping out in the cliffs. After the samples were processed following the chemical protocol of 36 Cl preparation for silicate rocks, 36 Cl concentrations were measured by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). Important challenges during the implementation procedure were related to large amounts of radiogenic 36 Cl, complex modeling of inherited 36 Cl, and dominance of the thermal and epithermal (low-energy) neutron capture production pathway. Nevertheless, quantitative assessments on the basis of the contribution of the low-energy neutron capture pathway percent to the total production rate validated the calculated CRE dates. Current CRE ages demonstrate that an ancient caldera existed on pre-Minoan Santorini, occupying at least the northern half of the modern-day caldera.

Cosmic ray exposure (CRE) dating was performed on the caldera cliffs of Santorini with the aim of detecting cliff segments predating the Minoan eruption (17th century BCE). The methodology involved the determination of in situ-produced cosmogenic 36Cl concentration in basaltic-to-rhyodacitic whole rocks cropping out in the cliffs. After the samples were processed following the chemical protocol of 36Cl preparation for silicate rocks, 36Cl concentrations were measured by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). Important challenges during the implementation procedure were related to large amounts of radiogenic 36Cl, complex modeling of inherited 36Cl, and dominance of the thermal and epithermal (low-energy) neutron capture production pathway. Nevertheless, quantitative assessments on the basis of the contribution of the low-energy neutron capture pathway percent to the total production rate validated the calculated CRE dates. Current CRE ages demonstrate that an ancient caldera existed on pre-Minoan Santorini, occupying at least the northern half of the modern-day caldera.

Cosmic ray exposure (CRE) dating was performed on the caldera cliffs of Santorini with the aim of detecting cliff segments predating the Minoan eruption (17th century BCE). The methodology involved the determination of in situ-produced cosmogenic 36 Cl concentration in basaltic-to-rhyodacitic whole rocks cropping out in the cliffs. After the samples were processed following the chemical protocol of 36 Cl preparation for silicate rocks, 36 Cl concentrations were measured by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). Important challenges during the implementation procedure were related to large amounts of radiogenic 36 Cl, complex modeling of inherited 36 Cl, and dominance of the thermal and epithermal (low-energy) neutron capture production pathway. Nevertheless, quantitative assessments on the basis of the contribution of the low-energy neutron capture pathway percent to the total production rate validated the calculated CRE dates. Current CRE ages demonstrate that an ancient caldera exis...