Without warning, an ominous black cloud surged over the long-silent volcano. The sky turned an inky black as volcanic ash burst forth, blotting out the sun and plunging the world into a terrifying pitch darkness. An earth-shattering roar echoed through the air, followed by a relentless rain of stones and ash.
This harrowing scene is not the stuff of nightmares but a stark reality of how a long-forgotten mountain can suddenly awaken. Many dormant volcanoes are now emitting disturbing signals.
Killer on a Paradise Island
Among these seemingly tranquil giants is the Santorini volcano, nestled in the idyllic Aegean Sea. Around the mid-second millennium BC, this sleeping giant obliterated the entire civilization that once thrived on the island.
The Santorini volcano, the island’s creator, unleashed its wrath, causing the island’s heart to collapse and sink beneath the sea to depths of several hundred meters.
Now, the volcano stirs once more, its seismic activity sending waves of alarm through the scientific community.
The situation is gravely concerning. Santorini is a colossal volcano. Reports of seismic events suggest a swarm of earthquakes, a precursor to an eruption.
Adding to the urgency is Greece’s apparent shortage of top-tier volcanologists, capable of responding swiftly to a potential catastrophe.
We could face an eruption in the Mediterranean, not due to a lack of expertise but because there’s simply no one to predict it.
Based on the current geological situation of planet Earth, a massive eruption in the Aegean Sea is unlikely within the next million years. However, if we consider the possibility that we are living in biblical times, witnessing the unfolding of the Apocalypse, then it is conceivable that catastrophic events could commence at any moment.
Earthquakes of such magnitude that leaders would retreat into underground bunkers could occur. The final cataclysm would be so powerful that the following day, the Sun would rise in the West.
While the Cyclades archipelago may not be the primary candidate for such cataclysms, the volcanic system of Santorini has been on the radar since the beginning of an unusual swarm on January 28.
The potential consequences of an eruption are beyond imagination. Sadly, Santorini isn’t the only European volcano reminding us of its perilous existence.
The Supervolcano That Killed the Neanderthals
The Campi Flegrei volcano near Naples has also raised red flags. It threatens millions of Italians living in its shadow.
Unlike traditional volcanoes, Campi Flegrei is a lowland—the Phlegraean Fields, sprawling over several tens of square kilometers, dotted with homes.
In 2023, this ticking time bomb greatly alarmed seismologists.
Researchers from University College London and Italy’s National Research Institute for Geophysics and Volcanology (NGV) have sounded the alarm about an imminent eruption.
The ground shakes, the soil swells, smoke billows, and the land weakens—it’s on the verge of eruption. Molten magma churns beneath the caldera. An eruption could send shockwaves as far as London.
Thankfully, these apocalyptic fears have not yet come to pass. Experts believe Campi Flegrei’s cataclysmic eruption 40,000 years ago contributed to the Neanderthals’ extinction.
Some perished instantly during the eruption, while others succumbed to the ensuing catastrophic climate change. The eruption spewed thousands of tons of ash and rock into the atmosphere, blocking the sun and ushering in a “nuclear winter.”
The thought of what could happen to Europe if this volcano awakens again is chilling.
Among the world’s volcanoes, some possess the potential to alter the planet’s climate.
A Threat to the Entire Planet
The Yellowstone supervolcano, dormant for over six hundred thousand years, has shown unsettling signs of activity.
In January 2025, a team of American geologists led by Clifford Tarber from the University of Wisconsin-Madison discovered that colossal magma accumulations are shifting towards the northeastern part of Yellowstone Park.
Disturbingly, the northeastern magma reservoirs have amassed almost as much magma as before its monumental eruption 1.3 million years ago.
Luckily for us, the chance of an eruption remains extremely low—a mere fraction of a percent.
However, if this behemoth erupts, it could trigger a new ice age with catastrophic consequences. A Yellowstone earthquake might also set off eruptions in hundreds of volcanoes worldwide, generating tsunamis that could obliterate cities along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts.
