Delos, the sacred island of Apollo and a UNESCO World Heritage site, is losing ground to the sea, according to findings presented at the Academy of Athens.
Researchers from the academy, the National Observatory of Athens and the Ephorate of Antiquities of the Cyclades used a climate observatory installed two years ago to track the effects of climate change on the island. Combining one year of measurements with historical data, archaeological indicators and tide-gauge records, the study concluded that Delos is effectively sinking by nearly one centimeter a year. Scientists attribute the trend to rising seas across the Aegean and to the island’s own geological makeup.
Natural disasters expert Kostas Synolakis said future increases in relative sea level – the combined effect of higher waters and land sinking – are essentially locked in because of the sea’s heat capacity. By 2050, projections range from 21 to 28 centimeters; by 2100, from 48 to 87.
The consequences include shoreline retreat, wetland expansion, complete submergence of partly submerged ancient harbor structures, and flooding of visitor areas.
CLIMATE CRISIS ENVIRONMENT ARCHAEOLOGY
