the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
| 22 Oct 2025
40Ar/39Ar constraints on the eruption history of the Christiana Volcano of the Christiana-Santorini-Kolumbo volcanic field, Greece
Abstract. The Christiana Islands group consists of three at present uninhabited islands 20 km SW of Santorini, Aegean Sea, Greece, that are the subaerial remnants of the Christiana volcano. The age of the Christiana Islands has been unclear and has been previously assumed to have started around the same time as the emergence of Santorini (600 ka). Other studies, based on seismic reflection studies have correlated volcanic deposits of the Christiana archipelago to Pliocene sedimentary layers. This study reports new groundmass 40Ar/39Ar ages of ten volcanic samples from Christiana Island. Subaerial Christiana volcanic rocks of the Upper Lava formation cluster tightly between 2.5–2.7 Ma with relatively small uncertainties (0.02–0.14 Ma). One sample dated much younger: 133 ka; this is most likely derived from the Middle Pumice Plinian eruption of Santorini. The 2.5–2.7 Ma age for Christiana volcano shows that all volcanic fields of the South Aegean Volcanic Arc (SAVA) were active around 3 Ma ago and started when oceanic crust arrived at 100 km depth below the SAVA volcanic fields after long periods of continental lithosphere subduction. The Christiana volcano was constructed when the local stress field showed NNE-SSW extension. During the transition from NNE-SSW to NW-SE extension the Christiana volcano became extinct and a period of >1.0 Ma with volcanic quiescence and/or low volcanic output followed until the start of submarine volcano Poseidon and present-day volcanic centres Santorini and Kolumbo.
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Notice on discussion status
The requested preprint has a corresponding peer-reviewed final revised paper. You are encouraged to refer to the final revised version.
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Preprint
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Supplement
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The requested preprint has a corresponding peer-reviewed final revised paper. You are encouraged to refer to the final revised version.
- Preprint
(4274 KB) - Metadata XML
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Supplement
(1890 KB) - BibTeX
- EndNote
- Final revised paper
Journal article(s) based on this preprint
Interactive discussion
Status: closed
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RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2025-4857', Su-Chin Chang, 02 Nov 2025
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AC1: 'Reply on RC1', Pieter Vroon, 09 Dec 2025
We are pleased with the favourable review of our manuscript by Dr Su-Chin Chang. She suggests rewriting the geological introduction for readers unfamiliar with the regional geology of Santorini. We will do so and incorporate at the same time also the suggestions of RC2 to include additional references.
Citation: https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-4857-AC1
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AC1: 'Reply on RC1', Pieter Vroon, 09 Dec 2025
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RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2025-4857', Tim Druitt, 02 Nov 2025
This is an important and scientifically robust contribution to our understanding of the history of Aegean volcanism. The paper is very well written and illustrated, and I have no significant criticisms. My only recommendation is that if possible the authors add photographs of the sample locations. For example, it would be hard to find the outcrop of Santorini sample C18-14A without a photo. The authors may like to look at Karstens, J et al. Revised Minoan eruption volume as benchmark for large volcanic eruptions. Nature communications, 14(1), p.2497. for the volume of the Minoan eruption, and Metcalfe, A. et al. Tectonic modulation of caldera volcanism on the South Aegean Volcanic Arc. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 671, p.119633 for age revisions for Santorini volcanism. Overall I congratulate the authors on a very nice piece of work. Tim Druitt
Citation: https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-4857-RC2 -
AC2: 'Reply on RC2', Pieter Vroon, 09 Dec 2025
We would like to thank Prof. Dr. Tim Druitt for the very positive review of our manuscript. He has two suggestions to improve the manuscript: (1) to add field photographs to the supplementary material sample descriptions, and (2) additional references to improve the geological introduction. The first point we can only partly address as we do not have field pictures for every sample locality. The ones we have, we will add to a revised version of the supplementary material. The second point, the suggestions for additional references, we will add to the modified geological introduction (see also RC1).
Citation: https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-4857-AC2
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AC2: 'Reply on RC2', Pieter Vroon, 09 Dec 2025
Interactive discussion
Status: closed
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RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2025-4857', Su-Chin Chang, 02 Nov 2025
The manuscript titled "40Ar/39Ar constraints on the eruption history of the Christiana Volcano of the Christiana-Santorini-Kolumbo volcanic field, Greece" offers a new and robust age determination, contributing to the understanding of the tectonic evolution of the Aegean arc. The scientific motivation of this study is clear, and the results facilitate the resolution of the long-standing debate concerning the age of the Christiana-Santorini-Kolumbo volcanic field. The methodology and findings presented in the manuscript are well-articulated, with all figures being well-organized, thereby facilitating comprehension for the reader.
Nevertheless, the introduction and the geological background could be slightly revised, as the existing content lacks clarity for readers unfamiliar with the regional geology. Other than that, the overall quality of the manuscript is commendably high.
Citation: https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-4857-RC1 -
AC1: 'Reply on RC1', Pieter Vroon, 09 Dec 2025
We are pleased with the favourable review of our manuscript by Dr Su-Chin Chang. She suggests rewriting the geological introduction for readers unfamiliar with the regional geology of Santorini. We will do so and incorporate at the same time also the suggestions of RC2 to include additional references.
Citation: https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-4857-AC1
-
AC1: 'Reply on RC1', Pieter Vroon, 09 Dec 2025
-
RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2025-4857', Tim Druitt, 02 Nov 2025
This is an important and scientifically robust contribution to our understanding of the history of Aegean volcanism. The paper is very well written and illustrated, and I have no significant criticisms. My only recommendation is that if possible the authors add photographs of the sample locations. For example, it would be hard to find the outcrop of Santorini sample C18-14A without a photo. The authors may like to look at Karstens, J et al. Revised Minoan eruption volume as benchmark for large volcanic eruptions. Nature communications, 14(1), p.2497. for the volume of the Minoan eruption, and Metcalfe, A. et al. Tectonic modulation of caldera volcanism on the South Aegean Volcanic Arc. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 671, p.119633 for age revisions for Santorini volcanism. Overall I congratulate the authors on a very nice piece of work. Tim Druitt
Citation: https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-4857-RC2 -
AC2: 'Reply on RC2', Pieter Vroon, 09 Dec 2025
We would like to thank Prof. Dr. Tim Druitt for the very positive review of our manuscript. He has two suggestions to improve the manuscript: (1) to add field photographs to the supplementary material sample descriptions, and (2) additional references to improve the geological introduction. The first point we can only partly address as we do not have field pictures for every sample locality. The ones we have, we will add to a revised version of the supplementary material. The second point, the suggestions for additional references, we will add to the modified geological introduction (see also RC1).
Citation: https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-4857-AC2
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AC2: 'Reply on RC2', Pieter Vroon, 09 Dec 2025
Peer review completion
Post-review adjustments
Journal article(s) based on this preprint
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Pieter Zeger Vroon
Teun Beemster
Xiaolong Zhou
Paraskevi Nomikou
Martijn Klaver
Jan R. Wijbrans
Klaudia F. Kuiper
The requested preprint has a corresponding peer-reviewed final revised paper. You are encouraged to refer to the final revised version.
- Preprint
(4274 KB) - Metadata XML
-
Supplement
(1890 KB) - BibTeX
- EndNote
- Final revised paper
The manuscript titled "40Ar/39Ar constraints on the eruption history of the Christiana Volcano of the Christiana-Santorini-Kolumbo volcanic field, Greece" offers a new and robust age determination, contributing to the understanding of the tectonic evolution of the Aegean arc. The scientific motivation of this study is clear, and the results facilitate the resolution of the long-standing debate concerning the age of the Christiana-Santorini-Kolumbo volcanic field. The methodology and findings presented in the manuscript are well-articulated, with all figures being well-organized, thereby facilitating comprehension for the reader.
Nevertheless, the introduction and the geological background could be slightly revised, as the existing content lacks clarity for readers unfamiliar with the regional geology. Other than that, the overall quality of the manuscript is commendably high.