Detailed investigations of the archeological sites on Santorini and Crete have enabled a picture to be built up of what might have happened. It seems that Santorini went through two bursts of activity within a short period of time. In the first, huge quantities of ash were thrown out. A layer two inches deep has been found on eastern Crete and much deeper deposits on Santorini. However, the archeological evidence shows clearly that Minoan culture at the eastern end of Crete (there were few major population centers in the west) survived this initial explosion, whereas towns and cities of central Crete, where very little ash fell, were effectively wiped out. A strong possibility is that earthquakes, triggered by the movement of molten rocks beneath the surface, devastated settlements in central Crete immediately prior to the eruption. The extensive fire damage evident in the remains could have happened because oil lamps, dislodged by the powerful tremors, set building debris alight. Olive oil leaking from broken storage vessels in the large basements of the palaces and country houses would perhaps have further fueled the inferno.