cross-posted from: https://derp.foo/post/376767

One of the most striking parts of the story of Atlantis is the fact that it was supposed to have disappeared into the sea. Plato wrote:

“There occurred violent earthquakes and floods; and in a single day and night… the island of Atlantis… disappeared into the depths of the sea.”

This description is easily explained by identifying Atlantis with the Minoan civilization on Santorini. In the 16th century BC (some outdated sources say 17th century BC), this volcanic island erupted. It was possibly the largest eruption in all of human history. It was so large that it literally blasted huge chunks of the island out into the sea.

But perhaps most significant was the fact that the eruption emptied the magma chamber beneath the island. This caused large sections of the island to literally collapse ‘into the depths of the sea’.