Nisyros
Encyclopedia
Nisyros is a volcanic
Greek
island and municipality
located in the Aegean Sea
. It is part of the Dodecanese
group of islands, situated between the islands of Kos
and Tilos
. Its shape is approximately round, with a diameter of about 8 km (5 mi), and an area of 41.6 km² (16.062 sq mi). Several other islets are found in the direct vicinity of Nisyros, the largest of which is Gyali
. The Municipality of Nisyros includes Gyalí (pop. 10) as well as uninhabited Pacheiá, Pergoússa, Kandelioússa, Ágios Antónios, and Stroggýli. It has a total land area of 50.055 km² (19.326 sq mi) and a total population of 948 inhabitants. The island was also called and .
, and was constructed within the past 150 000 years, with 3 separate eruptive stages, ranging from explosive
and effusive
andesitic
eruptions to effusive and extrusive dacitic
and rhyolitic
activity. Its coasts are generally rocky or pebbled, but there are also a few sandy beaches (mainly in the northeastern part). The volcano is currently active (but not erupting), and fumarole
s are found at the craters. It has had four historical eruptions, all of which had a VEI
of 2. Almost all of its eruptions involved phreatic
activity. The latest eruptive activity was a steam explosion in 1888, after small ash eruptions in 1871 and 1873 and earthquakes are not infrequent. A period of seismic unrest in 1996-1997 led an international team of scientist to initiate monitoring of the volcanic unrest in the European Union
sponsored Geowarn project. The entire volcanic complex includes the seafloor between Nisyros and Kos
, the island of Gyali
, and a part of Kos
island.
on Kos. There is also a heliport
. The main town and port of the island is Mandraki (pop. 682)(hole). Other villages are Paloi (167), Nikeia (48), and Emporios (25). According to a 2001 census, the municipality's resident population is 948 (including 10 on Gyali
), although in summer it is augmented by many tourists as well as expatriate Nisyrians who visit the island for their vacations. Tourism is not so heavily developed as on other Greek
islands. Deposits of perlite
and pumice
on Gyali
provide much of the wealth of the island. The island used to be self-sufficient, and many crops were grown on its terraced slopes. Today, though, they are cultivated on a smaller scale.
, the island was formed when Poseidon
cut off a part of Kos and threw it onto the giant Polyvotis to stop him from escaping. The ancient name of the Nisyros was Porphyris. Ancient walls, dating from the 5th century BC, part of the acropolis
of the island, are found near Mandraki.
It was apparently also a source of millstone
s used in some of the earliest watermills, being referred to by epigrammatist Antipater of Thessalonica
in the 1st century BC.
, a non-alcoholic almond
-flavoured drink. The patron saint
of the island is Saint Nikitas. Many Orthodox Christian churches are found on the island, as well as four monasteries which are not inhabited by monks today, although various celebrations take place in them. The largest monastery is the one of Panagia Spiliani (Blessed Virgin Mary of the cave) at Mandraki. It is built beside the medieval castle erected by the Knights Hospitaller
who conquered the island in 1315.
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
island and municipality
Communities and Municipalities of Greece
For the new municipalities of Greece see the Kallikratis ProgrammeThe municipalities and communities of Greece are one of several levels of government within the organizational structure of that country. Thirteen regions called peripheries form the largest unit of government beneath the State. ...
located in the Aegean Sea
Aegean Sea
The Aegean Sea[p] is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea located between the southern Balkan and Anatolian peninsulas, i.e., between the mainlands of Greece and Turkey. In the north, it is connected to the Marmara Sea and Black Sea by the Dardanelles and Bosporus...
. It is part of the Dodecanese
Dodecanese
The Dodecanese are a group of 12 larger plus 150 smaller Greek islands in the Aegean Sea, of which 26 are inhabited. Τhis island group generally defines the eastern limit of the Sea of Crete. They belong to the Southern Sporades island group...
group of islands, situated between the islands of Kos
Kos
Kos or Cos is a Greek island in the south Sporades group of the Dodecanese, next to the Gulf of Gökova/Cos. It measures by , and is from the coast of Bodrum, Turkey and the ancient region of Caria. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within the Kos peripheral unit, which is...
and Tilos
Tilos
Tílos is a small Greek island and municipality located in the Aegean Sea. It is part of the Dodecanese group of islands, and lies midway between Kos and Rhodes. It has a population of 533 inhabitants . Along with the uninhabited offshore islets of Antitilos and Gaidaros, it forms the Municipality...
. Its shape is approximately round, with a diameter of about 8 km (5 mi), and an area of 41.6 km² (16.062 sq mi). Several other islets are found in the direct vicinity of Nisyros, the largest of which is Gyali
Gyali
Gyali is a volcanic Greek island in the Dodecanese, located halfway between the south coast of Kos and Nisyros. It consists of rhyolitic obsidian lava domes and pumice deposits. The island has two distinct segments, with the northeastern part almost entirely made of obsidian and the southwestern...
. The Municipality of Nisyros includes Gyalí (pop. 10) as well as uninhabited Pacheiá, Pergoússa, Kandelioússa, Ágios Antónios, and Stroggýli. It has a total land area of 50.055 km² (19.326 sq mi) and a total population of 948 inhabitants. The island was also called and .
Geology
The island has a 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) to 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) wide calderaCaldera
A caldera is a cauldron-like volcanic feature usually formed by the collapse of land following a volcanic eruption, such as the one at Yellowstone National Park in the US. They are sometimes confused with volcanic craters...
, and was constructed within the past 150 000 years, with 3 separate eruptive stages, ranging from explosive
Explosive eruption
An explosive eruption is a volcanic term to describe a violent, explosive type of eruption. Mount St. Helens in 1980 was an example. Such an eruption is driven by gas accumulating under great pressure. Driven by hot rising magma, it interacts with ground water until the pressure increases to the...
and effusive
Effusive eruption
An effusive eruption is a volcanic eruption characterized by the outpouring of lava onto the ground...
andesitic
Andesite
Andesite is an extrusive igneous, volcanic rock, of intermediate composition, with aphanitic to porphyritic texture. In a general sense, it is the intermediate type between basalt and dacite. The mineral assemblage is typically dominated by plagioclase plus pyroxene and/or hornblende. Magnetite,...
eruptions to effusive and extrusive dacitic
Dacite
Dacite is an igneous, volcanic rock. It has an aphanitic to porphyritic texture and is intermediate in composition between andesite and rhyolite. The relative proportions of feldspars and quartz in dacite, and in many other volcanic rocks, are illustrated in the QAPF diagram...
and rhyolitic
Rhyolite
This page is about a volcanic rock. For the ghost town see Rhyolite, Nevada, and for the satellite system, see Rhyolite/Aquacade.Rhyolite is an igneous, volcanic rock, of felsic composition . It may have any texture from glassy to aphanitic to porphyritic...
activity. Its coasts are generally rocky or pebbled, but there are also a few sandy beaches (mainly in the northeastern part). The volcano is currently active (but not erupting), and fumarole
Fumarole
A fumarole is an opening in a planet's crust, often in the neighborhood of volcanoes, which emits steam and gases such as carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, hydrochloric acid, and hydrogen sulfide. The steam is created when superheated water turns to steam as its pressure drops when it emerges from...
s are found at the craters. It has had four historical eruptions, all of which had a VEI
Volcanic Explosivity Index
The Volcanic Explosivity Index was devised by Chris Newhall of the U.S. Geological Survey and Stephen Self at the University of Hawaii in 1982 to provide a relative measure of the explosiveness of volcanic eruptions....
of 2. Almost all of its eruptions involved phreatic
Phreatic eruption
A phreatic eruption, also called a phreatic explosion or ultravulcanian eruption, occurs when rising magma makes contact with ground or surface water. The extreme temperature of the magma causes near-instantaneous evaporation to steam, resulting in an explosion of steam, water, ash, rock, and...
activity. The latest eruptive activity was a steam explosion in 1888, after small ash eruptions in 1871 and 1873 and earthquakes are not infrequent. A period of seismic unrest in 1996-1997 led an international team of scientist to initiate monitoring of the volcanic unrest in the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
sponsored Geowarn project. The entire volcanic complex includes the seafloor between Nisyros and Kos
Kos
Kos or Cos is a Greek island in the south Sporades group of the Dodecanese, next to the Gulf of Gökova/Cos. It measures by , and is from the coast of Bodrum, Turkey and the ancient region of Caria. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within the Kos peripheral unit, which is...
, the island of Gyali
Gyali
Gyali is a volcanic Greek island in the Dodecanese, located halfway between the south coast of Kos and Nisyros. It consists of rhyolitic obsidian lava domes and pumice deposits. The island has two distinct segments, with the northeastern part almost entirely made of obsidian and the southwestern...
, and a part of Kos
Kos
Kos or Cos is a Greek island in the south Sporades group of the Dodecanese, next to the Gulf of Gökova/Cos. It measures by , and is from the coast of Bodrum, Turkey and the ancient region of Caria. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within the Kos peripheral unit, which is...
island.
Settlements
The island is reachable by ship from Pireaus and Kos, and in summer, there are many daily trips from the village of KardamenaKardamena
Kardamaina , is a small Greek town 7 km from Kos Island International Airport at Antimacheia, situated mid-way along the south coast of the island of Kos. It lies in the municipal unit of Irakleides, in the Dodecanese...
on Kos. There is also a heliport
Heliport
A heliport is a small airport suitable only for use by helicopters. Heliports typically contain one or more helipads and may have limited facilities such as fuel, lighting, a windsock, or even hangars...
. The main town and port of the island is Mandraki (pop. 682)(hole). Other villages are Paloi (167), Nikeia (48), and Emporios (25). According to a 2001 census, the municipality's resident population is 948 (including 10 on Gyali
Gyali
Gyali is a volcanic Greek island in the Dodecanese, located halfway between the south coast of Kos and Nisyros. It consists of rhyolitic obsidian lava domes and pumice deposits. The island has two distinct segments, with the northeastern part almost entirely made of obsidian and the southwestern...
), although in summer it is augmented by many tourists as well as expatriate Nisyrians who visit the island for their vacations. Tourism is not so heavily developed as on other Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
islands. Deposits of perlite
Perlite
Perlite is an amorphous volcanic glass that has a relatively high water content, typically formed by the hydration of obsidian. It occurs naturally and has the unusual property of greatly expanding when heated sufficiently...
and pumice
Pumice
Pumice is a textural term for a volcanic rock that is a solidified frothy lava typically created when super-heated, highly pressurized rock is violently ejected from a volcano. It can be formed when lava and water are mixed. This unusual formation is due to the simultaneous actions of rapid...
on Gyali
Gyali
Gyali is a volcanic Greek island in the Dodecanese, located halfway between the south coast of Kos and Nisyros. It consists of rhyolitic obsidian lava domes and pumice deposits. The island has two distinct segments, with the northeastern part almost entirely made of obsidian and the southwestern...
provide much of the wealth of the island. The island used to be self-sufficient, and many crops were grown on its terraced slopes. Today, though, they are cultivated on a smaller scale.
History
According to Greek mythologyGreek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
, the island was formed when Poseidon
Poseidon
Poseidon was the god of the sea, and, as "Earth-Shaker," of the earthquakes in Greek mythology. The name of the sea-god Nethuns in Etruscan was adopted in Latin for Neptune in Roman mythology: both were sea gods analogous to Poseidon...
cut off a part of Kos and threw it onto the giant Polyvotis to stop him from escaping. The ancient name of the Nisyros was Porphyris. Ancient walls, dating from the 5th century BC, part of the acropolis
Acropolis
Acropolis means "high city" in Greek, literally city on the extremity and is usually translated into English as Citadel . For purposes of defense, early people naturally chose elevated ground to build a new settlement, frequently a hill with precipitous sides...
of the island, are found near Mandraki.
It was apparently also a source of millstone
Millstone
Millstones or mill stones are used in windmills and watermills, including tide mills, for grinding wheat or other grains.The type of stone most suitable for making millstones is a siliceous rock called burrstone , an open-textured, porous but tough, fine-grained sandstone, or a silicified,...
s used in some of the earliest watermills, being referred to by epigrammatist Antipater of Thessalonica
Antipater of Thessalonica
Antipater of Thessalonica was the author of over a hundred epigrams in the Greek Anthology. He is the most copious and perhaps the most interesting of the Augustan epigrammatists...
in the 1st century BC.
Culture
A traditional product of Nisyros is soumadaSoumada
Soumada, also spelled Soumatha is a popularly-consumed non-alcoholic soft-drink in Greece that is made from almonds. It can also be delicately flavored with flowers ....
, a non-alcoholic almond
Almond
The almond , is a species of tree native to the Middle East and South Asia. Almond is also the name of the edible and widely cultivated seed of this tree...
-flavoured drink. The patron saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
of the island is Saint Nikitas. Many Orthodox Christian churches are found on the island, as well as four monasteries which are not inhabited by monks today, although various celebrations take place in them. The largest monastery is the one of Panagia Spiliani (Blessed Virgin Mary of the cave) at Mandraki. It is built beside the medieval castle erected by the Knights Hospitaller
Knights Hospitaller
The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta , also known as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta , Order of Malta or Knights of Malta, is a Roman Catholic lay religious order, traditionally of military, chivalrous, noble nature. It is the world's...
who conquered the island in 1315.