Santorini is part of the Southern Aegean volcanic arc , 140 km north of Crete . The Minoan eruption of Santorini , was the latest eruption and occurred in the first half of the 17th century BC . The eruption was of predominantly rhyodacite composition . The Minoan eruption had four phases . Phase 1 was a white to pink pumice fallout with dispersal axis trending ESE . The deposit has a maximum thickness of 6 m and ash flow layers are interbedded at the top . Phase 2 has ash and lapilli beds that are cross stratified with mega-ripples and dune like structures . The deposit thicknesses vary from 10 cm to 12 m. Phases 3 and 4 are pyroclastic density current deposits . Phases 1 and 3 were phreatomagmatic
Minoan eruption
Minoan eruption
Phreatomagmatic eruption