The Aegean Sea is a small group of volcanic islands in the shape of a ring, which is called Santorini (Thira). In ancient times there was a single island round, called, perhaps, Strong, which was located in the middle of a huge mountain heights of 1, 5 kilometers - an active volcano.

Approximately 3,500 years ago, there was a powerful volcanic eruption (up 7 points), which is considered the largest in the history of the earth. The tremendous explosion led to the fact that a huge crater formed cavity whose walls collapsed under its own weight, and formed a huge caldera (diameter of 14 km, and the height of the walls in some places up to 400 m). Caldera was flooded waters of the Aegean Sea. The earth's surface is not pushed under the water was completely covered with volcanic lava and ash, traces of which were found on the island of Crete, the coastal areas of northern Africa and Asia Minor. It is believed that the locals had to leave the island, since the excavations near Akrotiri was found unburied human remains and any gold and other valuable items.

Volcanic explosion also triggered a powerful tsunami height of 100 m, which covered the northern coast of the island of Crete and destroyed a lot of settlements of the Aegean basin and the Mediterranean coast. After that, the Minoan civilization declined, even though, according to some reports, some time still existed.

There is also a hypothesis that was Santorini volcanic eruption has led to the death of the legendary Atlantis. No reliable evidence of this to date does not exist.

Today, the volcano of Thira (Santorini) is at rest, but, nevertheless, remains valid. The last major earthquake shook the island of Santorini in 1956.