Volcanologist says past blast wiped out Plato Atlantis March 29
2006 Plato, the ancient Greek philosopher, wrote the classic
story of lost paradise, of the prosperous land of Atlantis
disappearing without a trace, sunk into the sea by angry gods.
For centuries, the location of Atlantis and the real reason for
its decline have been debated. Now scientists have pinpointed a
likely location - the Greek island of Santorini where
excavations have uncovered a once-thriving Bronze Age settlement
of perhaps 20,000 people - and a cause - one of the most violent
volcanic eruptions ever known. Research by Greek volcanologist
George Vougioukalakis, highlighted in the new IMAX movie
"Greece: Secrets of the Past," has shed light on the pyrotechnic
blast that buried the island in the spring of 1646 B.C. But
questions about what happened to the Minoan people of Santorini
remain buried in ancient volcanic soils. Q: Places as improbable
as Antarctica have been linked to the Atlantis myth. Why does
Santorini seem a likely candi