The things that I witness and record from working on the volcanic island of Santorini never cease to take my breath away. My curiosity took control of me one day while I was conducting field work. While working on stratigraphic columns at such places as Cape Plaka and Vlychada, small discolored rocks kept appearing in the preserved Minoan eruption deposits. The rocks easily grabbed the attention of my eye for the colors that the rock held on its surface were nothing less than mesmerizing.

The red is that of the surface of Mars that is coated with iron-rich rock. The yellow is dusted over the surface as if someone sprinkled little flakes of the sun all over it. The orange can only be compared to that of a setting sun, a sun that sets over the horizon of an endless sea glistening over the waves. Finally the purple, it is as if flames of scorching temperature kissed the surface and stained the rock in misshaped ways.

Questions raced through my mind. Questions of where could this rock have come from? What caused the rock to have such bewildering colors? Are the rocks volcanic or did they arise from some other source? I yearned to know more about this tantalizing creation and the secrets it holds.

Continue reading “Beautifully Colored for Dangerous Reasons”