Earth Exploration Record - History of Geological Thought

Author: Alderoyd
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-07-01
Features: The ancient volcanic event in Santorini is similar to the disaster that struck the Dutch East Indies island of Krakatoa in 1883. In this event, the collapse of the top of the magma chamber caused magma to erupt upwards, seawater rushed in, and with a sudden explosion, it was vaporized. In the example of Krakatoa, the sound of the volcanic eruption was so loud that it could be heard in Australia, nearly three thousand miles away. As is known, for the following few years, brilliant sunsets could be seen all over the world, caused by the dust from the explosion. (After the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines in 1991, the same phenomenon also occurred in Australia.) How did the ancients who lived near Santorini and witnessed the catastrophic volcanic eruption, yet were not too close to be burned to death, understand this event? I believe they were almost inevitably inclined to explain this phenomenon in anthropomorphic terms—mutual violence among sentient beings. As for the activity of Mount Etna, whether the larger or smaller eruption, Homerian mythology attributes it to the accidental surging and roaring of a hundred-headed giant buried beneath the volcano by Zeus.11 Not all myths can be successfully explained based on recorded natural events. Various theories have been discussed regarding the essence and characteristics of myths that have little to do with geology and astronomy.12 However, in agreement with Green's opinion, I believe that certain parts of myths indeed vaguely record actual natural events, and this claim seems to have some merit. I have referred to this method of interpreting myths as "physical mythology (or natural mythology)" (Birkett and Oklroyd, 1991). We will discuss this research method when we encounter it in the early days of geology in Chapter 3. Myths like Hesiod's Theogony were originally passed down orally. When these stories were told, the words used might have slight variations, but the basic order of the story elements would remain intact. It can be said that once the storyteller began, people could not interrupt him in the midst of his flow. We cannot imagine, after finishing the story, as in the end of a modern classroom, he would ask, "Any questions?" P15