Santorini just got hit by 80,000 earthquakes in one month, which revealed a massive, hidden pool of magma right under the volcano.
arXiv · March 13, 2026 · 2603.11108
Why it matters
Using deep learning to analyze a real-time volcanic crisis, researchers identified a reservoir of magma that had never been seen before. The discovery was prompted by a pattern of 'spasmodic' seismic bursts—averaging over 2,500 quakes a day—that has never been observed anywhere else on Earth.
From the abstract
We used a deep learning workflow to enhance earthquake detection during the 2025 seismic unrest between Santorini and Amorgos islands to track the evolution of the crisis in near real-time. We analysed the continuous seismic waveforms daily (1/2 - 3/3/25) as the crisis unfolded. Our analysis enhanced the earthquake catalogue from around 4,000 to 80,000 earthquakes. The enhanced catalogue allowed this international expert group to identify the volcanic-tectonic character, clearly revealing burst-