The “Ayrantokan” mud volcano in Baku’s Garadagh district erupted during 7 minutes on March 29, 2018 at around 21:10, ejecting flames 100-150 meters above the volcanic crater and covering an area of more than 2 hectares with 0.3 to 1.2 meters in thickness of mud. Radial cracks have also been spotted across the volcanic area.
The “Ayrantokan” mud volcano is part of the mud volcanoes group of the Baku and Absheron peninsula in Azerbaijan. Its first eruption took place in October 1964, and its last eruption was observed in 2008. Earlier this month, the Toraghay mud volcano erupted in the same district on March 1, 2018. Another ‘dirty’ volcano also erupted end of February in Russia.
Over a thousand mud volcanoes are known to exist in the world, and some 400 are located in the coastal area of Azerbaijan and the Caspian Sea.
The world’s largest mud volcanoes – Boyuk Khanizadagh and Turaghai – are both in Azerbaijan. Boyuk Khanizadagh, the diameter and height of which are 10 kilometers and 700 meters respectively, erupted on October 10, 2001, shooting out flames 300 meters in the air. It was the highest record for flames shot from a mud volcano.
Here the eruption of the Toraghay mud volcano about 1 year ago:
Mud volcanoes are a fairly widespread geological phenomenon. The dissemination of mud volcanoes usually indicates the existence of large oil and gas basins, so the large number of mud volcanoes in Azerbaijan reaffirms its richness and attracts the attention of scientists from all over the world.
Azerbaijan’s rich fields of oil and gas condensate such as Lokbatan, Garadagh, Oil Rocks, and Mishovdag were discovered near mud volcanoes.
The lava, mud, and liquid spewed by mud volcanoes are used as raw materials for chemical and construction industries, as well as pharmacology.
And just another volcano exploding around the world: Happy Easter!