Nisyros volcano
Stratovolcano, volcanic domes 680 m
Dodecanese Islands, Greece, 36.58°N / 27.17°E
Current status: normal or dormant (1 out of 5)
Dodecanese Islands, Greece, 36.58°N / 27.17°E
Current status: normal or dormant (1 out of 5)
Last update: 9 Aug 2021
Stephanos crater of Nisyros volcano
The small round island of Nisyros is one of the more active but less known volcanoes in Greece. It is located south of the popular beach holiday island of Kos.
The volcano is part of the Hellenic Arc, a curved line of volcanic centers which are caused by a subduction zone, and stretches from the Saronic Gulf opposite Athens via the island groups of Milos, Santorini, and Nisyros-Yali-Cos to the Bodrum peninsula at the extreme SW of Turkey.
The last eruption of Nisyros were phreatic explosions in 1881-87. They left a moonscape with colorful craters and very active fumaroles. More information about Nisyros island
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Nisyros volcano eruptions: 1881-1887 - hydrothermic explosions of the crater "Micros Polyvotis"
1500 - hydrothermic explosions
1000-2000 B.C. - hydrothermic explosions of the crater "Stefanos"
5000-10.000 B.C. - hydrothermic eruptions of the Kaminakia craters
15.000-10.000 B.C. - building of postcalderic volcano domes
15.000 B.C. - effusive eruption of the central caldera of Nisyros ("Upper pumice")
25.000 B.C. - effusive eruption of the central caldera of Nisyros ("Lower pumice")
40.000-30.000 B.C. - effusive eruption ("Kira-Formation")
150.000 B.C. - first submarin eruptions
Latest nearby earthquakes
| Time | Mag. / Depth | Distance/Location | ||
| Saturday, September 11, 2021 13:31 GMT (1 earthquake) | ||||
| Sep 11, 2021 4:31 pm (GMT +3) (Sep 11, 2021 13:31 GMT) | 4.2 16 km | 29 km (18 mi) Aegean Sea, 65 km south of Kos, Dodecanese, South Aegean, Greece | ||
| Wednesday, September 8, 2021 01:40 GMT (1 earthquake) | ||||
| Sep 8, 2021 4:40 am (GMT +3) (Sep 8, 2021 01:40 GMT) | 4.5 14 km | 8.9 km (5.5 mi) Aegean Sea, 43 km south of Kos, Dodecanese, South Aegean, Greece | ||
| Tuesday, September 7, 2021 21:55 GMT (1 earthquake) | ||||
| Sep 8, 2021 12:55 am (GMT +3) (Sep 7, 2021 21:55 GMT) | 3.9 14 km | 8 km (5 mi) Aegean Sea, 44 km south of Kos, Dodecanese, South Aegean, Greece | ||
| Monday, September 6, 2021 15:04 GMT (1 earthquake) | ||||
| Sep 6, 2021 6:04 pm (GMT +3) (Sep 6, 2021 15:04 GMT) | 4.2 16 km | 18 km (11 mi) Aegean Sea, 55 km south of Kos, Dodecanese, South Aegean, Greece | ||
Background
Nisyros is together with the volcanoes of the Cos caldera the east edge of the Aegean Arch with its active volcanoes Methana, Milos, Santorini. The Nisyros volcano is the most active remain of the Cos caldera that exploded aprox. 150.000 years ago. Nisyros, Yali, Strongyli, Pyrgoussa, Pahia and Kefalos (at Cos) are the remains of a zone that is considered to be still active. A Magma chamber below Nisyros is only 3-4 km deep and still rising up. Since 2000 when the Nisyros research program of the GEOWARN-Team started, the temperatures of the fumaroles have been changing from 98 C to 103 C in 2004. There was also a high tectonic (earthquakes) activity in the last years and so a program to prevent volcanic hazards is still ongoing.Nisyros Photos
The Stephanos crater seen from Nikia village (Nisyros volcano, Greece) (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer)
The Stefanos crater, Nisyros Island, in spring (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer)
Fumaroles and colored rocks at the side of the crater. (c)
Colorful moonscape at the Polyvotis crater. (c)
Nisyros volcano tours:
See also: Sentinel hub | Landsat 8
