Everyone loves a good story, especially if it's based on something true.
Consider the Greek legend of the Titanomachy, in which the Olympian gods, led by Zeus, vanquish the previous generation of immortals, the Titans. As
recounted by the Greek poet Hesiod, this conflict makes for a thrilling tale - and it
may preserve kernels of truth.
The eruption
around 1650 B.C. of the Thera volcano could have inspired Hesiod's narrative.
More powerful than Krakatoa, this ancient cataclysm in the southern Aegean Sea would have been witnessed by anyone living within hundreds of miles of the blast.
© Steve Jurvetson, CC BY
The massive eruption of the Thera volcano more than 3,500 years ago left behind a hollowed out island, today known as Santorini.
that key moments from the Titanomachy map on to the eruption's "signature." For example, Hesiod notes that loud rumbles emanated from the ground as the armies clashed; seismologists now know that harmonic tremors - small earthquakes that sometimes precede eruptions - often produce similar sounds. And the impression of the sky - "wide Heaven" - shaking during the battle could have been inspired by
shock waves in the air caused by the volcanic explosion. Hence, the Titanomachy
may represent the creative misreading of a natural event.
In 2021 I published the first textbook in the field,
Geomythology: How Common Stories Reflect Earth Events. As the book demonstrates, researchers in both the sciences and the humanities practice geomythology. In fact, geomythology's hybrid nature may help to bridge the gap between the two cultures. And despite its orientation toward the past, geomythology might also provide powerful resources for meeting environmental challenges in the future.
Comment: These latest powerful quakes follow closely on the heels of another of similar strength off the coast of Cyprus about 12 hours earlier.