The Christiana-Santorini-Kolumbo volcanic field in the southern Aegean Sea is one of the most hazardous volcanic regions in the world. Forming the northeastern part of this volcanic field, the Kolumbo Volcanic Chain (KVC) comprises more than 20 submarine volcanic cones. However, due to their inaccessibility, little is known about the spatio-temporal evolution and tectonic control of these submarine volcanoes and their link to the volcanic plumbing system of Santorini. In this study, we use multichannel reflection seismic imaging to study the internal architecture of the KVC and its link to Santorini. We show that the KVC evolved during two episodes, which initiated at ~1 Ma with the formation of mainly effusive volcanic edifices along a NE-SW trending zone. The cones of the second episode were formed mainly by submarine explosive eruptions between 0.7 and 0.3 Ma and partly developed on top of volcanic edifices from the first episode. We identify two prominent normal faults that underlie and continue the two main trends of the KVC, indicating a direct link between tectonics and volcanism. In addition, we reveal several buried volcanic centers and a distinct volcanic ridge connecting the KVC with Santorini, suggesting a connection between the two volcanic centers in the past. This connection was interrupted by a major tectonic event and, as a result, the two volcanic systems now have separate, largely independent plumbing systems despite their proximity.

The tsunami generation potential of pyroclastic density currents (PDCs) entering the sea is poorly understood, due to limited data and observations. Thus far, tsunami generation by PDCs has been modeled in a similar manner to tsunami generation associated with landslides or debris flows, using two-layer depth-averaged approaches. Using the adaptive partial differential equation solver Basilisk and benchmarking with published laboratory experiments, this work explores some of the important parameters not yet accounted for in numerical models of PDC-generated tsunamis. We use assumptions derived from experimental literature to approximate the granular, basal flow component of a PDC as a dense Newtonian fluid flowing down an inclined plane. This modeling provides insight into how the boundary condition of the slope and the viscosity of the dense granular-fluid influence the characteristics of the waves generated. It is shown that the boundary condition of the slope has a first-order impact on the interaction dynamics between the fluidized granular flow and water, as well as the energy transfer from the flow to the generated wave. The experimental physics is captured well in the numerical model, which confirms the underlying assumption of Newtonian fluid-like behaviour in the context of wave generation. The results from this study suggest the importance of considering vertical density and velocity stratification in wave generation models. Furthermore, we demonstrate that granular-fluids more dense than water are capable of shearing the water surface and generating significant amplitude waves, despite vigorous overturning.