20090608 Methana peninsula Peloponnese view from the sea Greece

The Methana volcano peninsula is situated approximately southwest of Athens in Greece.

Geological history

The Methana (Μέθανα) peninsula contains some 32 volcanoes, including the Methana volcano, that are mostly andesitic and dacitic

lava dome In volcanology, a lava dome is a circular mound-shaped protrusion resulting from the slow extrusion of viscous lava from a volcano. Dome-building eruptions are common, particularly in convergent plate boundary settings. Around 6% of eruptions on ...

s. The volcanic activity in the peninsula began 1 million years ago and continued sporadically until 300 years ago. The last eruptions took place in 1700 at a

submarine volcano Submarine volcanoes are underwater vents or fissures in the Earth's surface from which magma can erupt. Many submarine volcanoes are located near areas of tectonic plate formation, known as mid-ocean ridges. The volcanoes at mid-ocean ridges ...

north of Kameni Chora. On land there is also the historic

of Kameni Chora that erupted in 230 BC. In August 1922 there were numerous reports of a possible eruption in the Kaimeno Vouno crater, however, this still remains unconfirmed. Methana is in the northwestern part of the group of Cycladic volcanoes that are considered active ( Milos,

Santorini Santorini ( el, Σαντορίνη, ), officially Thira (Greek: Θήρα ) and classical Greek Thera (English pronunciation ), is an island in the southern Aegean Sea, about 200 km (120 mi) southeast from the Greek mainland. It is the ...

and Nisyros). The rocks are mostly dacites and andesites. On Methana there are thermal springs and mofettes (gas exhalations). Methana is cut by many tectonic faults, and so it is an area in high danger of

earthquakes An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from ...

. The major fault cuts the town of Methana from west to east.

Archaeological history

The Methana peninsula has been inhabited since about 10,000 BC. The first settlements were founded about 6,000 BC. Excavations have brought to light a village and sanctuary from Mycenaean times near the town of Methana at the chapel of Sts. Constantine & Helen. Items dating from about 1500–1200 BC are preserved in the museums of Poros island and in

Piraeus Archaeological museum The Archaeological Museum of Piraeus contains mainly sculptures, discovered in Piraeus and in the area of the Attic coast from Bronze Age to Roman times, Collections The museum's displayed objects are divided in sections:Ministry of Culture (A ...

in Athens. There were ancient sanctuaries in

Geometric Geometry (; ) is, with arithmetic, one of the oldest branches of mathematics. It is concerned with properties of space such as the distance, shape, size, and relative position of figures. A mathematician who works in the field of geometry is ca ...

times, about 800–700 BC, such as the Geometric temple near Kounoupitsa village. There are also two ancient acropoleis (Paliocastro acropolis and Oga acropolis) and many ancient farm sites. The ancient writers Ovid,

Strabo Strabo''Strabo'' (meaning "squinty", as in strabismus) was a term employed by the Romans for anyone whose eyes were distorted or deformed. The father of Pompey was called "Pompeius Strabo". A native of Sicily so clear-sighted that he could see ...

and Pausanias described the historic eruption of the volcano dome near the village of Kameni Chora in the northwestern part of the Methana peninsula. Pausanias also described hot springs after the eruption. Later there were many new buildings and sanctuaries founded near the village Vathy, at the Paliocastro hill and around it. Methana was also the site of a Phoenician base called Arsinoe.

References

External links

Volcanoes of Greece Pleistocene lava domes Landforms of Islands (regional unit) Landforms of Attica Holocene lava domes {{Attica-geo-stub