Scientists continue to monitor the Kolumbo undersea volcano, which lies 8km (5 miles) northeast of Santorini.

Kolumbo is the most active volcano in the eastern Mediterranean but has been quiet since 1650, when a major eruption blew the island apart, submerging it 50 metres under the sea and resulting in a devastating tsunami that affected the whole Aegean region and beyond.

However, the volcano is not asleep, with fumaroles spewing out large amounts of gas and material. So, between December 2022 and February 2023, the Joides Resolution deep drilling ship, with a large team of scientists, was located at the site to determine the state of the volcano and to place electronic sensors in the heart of the active area to continue to assess any potential danger posed.

The results of the scientific study have not yet been published.