Eruption at Lipad mud volcano, Malaysia

The Malaysian Lipad mud volcano erupted at around 10:00 LT on September 18, 2022, creating a spectacular view. Similar eruptions at the volcano took place in 2014 and 2019.

Lipad is the largest and best-known mud volcano in the Tabin Wildlife Reserve, said Dr. Mark Tingay, geomechanics and pore pressure specialist.

Eruption volume was estimated at 16 500 m³ (583 000 ft³), covering an area of about 5 500 m2 (59 200 ft²) in an average 3 m (10 feet) thick mudflow, Tingay said.

This is a natural occurrence and is no cause for concern, said Dr. Felix Tongkul, a volunteer with Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) as an Honorary Professor of Geology.

The eruption was rapid, like in the video footage, for about 2 minutes, then slow for about 10 minutes. Mud was spewed to a height of about 6 m (20 feet).

Teo Blašković

I'm a dedicated researcher, journalist, and editor at The Watchers. With over 20 years of experience in the media industry, I specialize in hard science news, focusing on extreme weather, seismic and volcanic activity, space weather, and astronomy, including near-Earth objects and planetary defense strategies. You can reach me at teo /at/ watchers.news.

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