THE GLOBAL IMPACT OF THE MINOAN ERUPTION OF SANTORINI, GREECE

The Minoan eruption of Santorini was a large-magnitude natural event. However, in terms of scale it ranks smaller in erupted volume and erup tive intensity than the historical eruption of Tambora in 1815 AD, and smaller in sulphur emission and, by inference, climatic effects than both the Tambora and Mt. Pinatubo, 1991, eruptions. Eruption statistic s for the past 2000 years indicate that Minoan-size eruptions typicall y occur at a rate of several per thousand years. Eruptions resulting i n a Minoan-scale injection of sulphur to the stratosphere occur far mo re frequently - at a rate of one or two per century. Inferences of mas sive sociological, religious and political impacts from such eruptions owe more to mythology than reality.