Gushchu mud volcano erupts in Shamakhi, mud spread over 2 ha (5 acres), Azerbaijan

gushchu-mud-volcano-eruption-azerbaijan

Gushchu mud volcano in Azerbaijan's Shamakhi region started erupting at 06:00 local time, February 13, 2019.

The eruption spread mud lava over an area of 2 hectares (5 acres) and caused numerous deformations and cracks in at least two houses in a village located 150 m (500 feet) from the volcano, AzerNews reports

It occurred after earthquakes in Shamahi and Agsu on February 5, Adil Aliyev, head of Mud Volcanism Department at the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences told Trend News Agency.

There were no emissions of flame and no cracks characteristic for the eruption of such volcanoes were formed.

This volcano has erupted 15 times over the past 200 years. "The strongest eruptions were in 1917, 1941 and 1992," Aliyev said.

Azerbaijan is home to the world's largest mud volcanoes – Boyuk Khanizadagh and Turaghai.

Boyuk Khanizadagh has a diameter of 10 km (6.2 miles) and a height of 700 m (2 300 feet). On October 10, 2001, this volcano erupted, shooting out flames 300 m (1 000 feet) in the air. This is still the world's highest record for flames produced by a mud volcano.

The study of mud volcanoes is very important in terms of determining the prospects of oil and gas zones, Aliyev said last year.

"Eruption of volcanoes is very important for scientific research, because during each eruption we get new scientific information. Erupting volcanoes make it possible to establish the location of promising areas for their subsequent use. In this context, mud volcanoes are the only facility that provide information on oil and gas sources of deep occurrence."

Featured image credit: Trend News Agency

Share:

Commenting rules and guidelines

We value the thoughts and opinions of our readers and welcome healthy discussions on our website. In order to maintain a respectful and positive community, we ask that all commenters follow these rules:

  • Treat others with kindness and respect.
  • Stay on topic and contribute to the conversation in a meaningful way.
  • Do not use abusive or hateful language.
  • Do not spam or promote unrelated products or services.
  • Do not post any personal information or content that is illegal, obscene, or otherwise inappropriate.

We reserve the right to remove any comments that violate these rules. By commenting on our website, you agree to abide by these guidelines. Thank you for helping to create a positive and welcoming environment for all.

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *