Page 301 - Volcano and Geothermal Tourism

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Figure CS15.2 Hundreds of tourists climb down the crater walls of Nisyros after their arrival by bus
Note: A visit to the active volcano is more like a family outing and the steep climb does not appear to deter any of the visitors.
Source: Photo courtesy of P. Erfurt-Cooper

produced phreatic eruptions. Currently fumarolic Risk factors
activity occurs in the caldera, and hot springs are
found on the coast. The volcano has erupted at As has been noted elsewhere in this book, in
least 13 times during recorded history. A volcano- relation to many volcanoes the risk factors for
seismic crisis on Nisyros occurred between 1995 tourism deriving from the Greek volcanoes are
and 1998, and was accompanied by 14cm of latent at present. The most dangerous situation is
ground uplift on the island. More than 1600 considered to be Santorini, which has been
seismic events were located within the Kos– labelled a decade volcano in order to be closely
Nisyros–Tilos area. Several shallow tectonic monitored and researched. However, as stated
earthquakes at depths up to 10km with larger above, the activity of Nisyros volcano is evident by
magnitudes up to 5.5 occurred along the fault many hydrothermal vents or fumaroles as well as
system between Tilos and Kos. And in January small boiling springs at the bottom of the crater
2003 the crater was declared off limits due to and this activity attracts the attention of hundreds
increasing temperatures and growing surface of visitors daily during the tourist season
cracks. The temperatures in the hydrothermal (Figure CS15.2). Transport to the volcano is
o
o
system increased from 210 C to 315 C. usually by organized bus tours, with the approach
Minor activity is noted on Kos, with fumarolic of the narrow, windy road into the caldera only
activity found at Kos volcano and emissions of possible in one direction according to agreed
hydrogen sulphide and hot springs along the coast. times. Once inside the caldera the crater itself can
Yali is a small island located between Kos and be accessed via a steep, but potentially unsafe
Nisyros and has no recent recordings of activity. climb downhill, which is made even more difficult

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