Deep sea core SL60 was extracted NE of the eastern extremity

of  Crete.Tephra waspresent between 20 and 57 cm,well above

the original S1 sapropel at 75-105 cm.The tephra section has2

distinct layers,with separation at core depth28cm.Geochemical

analyses to determine the origins of volcanic emissionsgenerally

compare glass fractions that have been cleaned.The SL60

samples,which are not homogeneous,were not cleaned.They

are a mixture of ash and sediments.The lower tephra layer

was unequivocally sourced to the Minoan eruption at Thera.

Some element concentrations in the upper layer [A1,Zr,Ba]

are compatible with a Thera origin,but other elements

concur with the background sediments.There is not

sufficient diagnostic data to confirm or refute that the SL60

upper tephra layer was emitted during a second Thera

volcanic eruption,[C Slomp et al,2004].

Golhisar Golu is a small,shallow lake in the Lycian Taurus

Mountains of SW Turkeyabout 400 km ENE of Thera.A

tephra deposit was recorded at a depth of 245-275 cm in a

lacustrine core,GHE.93-6.The peat directly under lying

the tephra  dates toca 1628 BCE +/- 75a,calibrated,[

Pierce et al,2002 and W Eastwood et al,2002].Geochemical

studies of the glass shards [Golhisar et al,1999] sourced

the tephra to the Minoan Thera eruption.

Ca 252.5cm there is a discernable decrease in shard

concentration,which broadly correlates with the SL60 core

depth ca 28 cm.Between 251 and 252 cm there is a slightly

elevated diatom concentration,that “might” represent

bioavailable  nutrientinflux.It is unlikely that the upper

tephra layer is the result of secondary inwash,because the

lowest total land pollen concentration occurs between

245 and 249 cm.

The above is not diagnostic proof,that there were 2 or

more significant volcanic eruptions at Thera between 1690

and 1450 BCE,but it may be food for thought.