Abstract:

The evolution of landscapes as natural phenomena is rarely seen in a generation,
but in volcanic regions the landscape is transformed at a tremendously fast rate.
These places are physical bounded and marked by natural phenomena as well as
imbued with cultural meaning. In regions where volcanic activity is dormant, it is
argued that a different cultural association is formed; in this paper the
palaeoenvironmental and volcanic evolution of the sites are analysed in the
volcanically active Mývatn region (NE Iceland) and on the island of Thera (Aegean
Sea, Greece).
The island of Thera consists of a basement of recrystallized limestones and
metamorphosed rocks. This basement is covered by a sequence of volcanic
formations. The volcanic activity, which started about 1.6 million years ago, is
still active and it is the predominant natural feature of the island’s topography.
The Mývatn region is a volcanically active area, straddling the American and
European plates along the North Atlantic ridge. The most recent lava eruption
took place in the 1983 and land areas are constantly changing in response to new
activities.

Few of the questions that the research will approach are:

• In what way have volcanoes evolved during the last millenniums and what dramatic changes have they brought to Natural resources?
• To which extent is an active long-term natural disaster a constant threat for human presence? How is human – nature balance attained?
• Is cultural meaning projected on such a natural landmark? Which aspects of human life are directly influenced (e.g. settlement patterns, land boundaries, resources and economic activities) and which aspects are more implicitly affected (e.g. mental images, religious perspective, spiritual perceptions)?