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In the waters of the Caspian Sea, an unusual phenomenon has perplexed scientists: an island that suddenly emerged in 2023 and almost completely disappeared in less than a year. This peculiar event, documented by NASA satellites, highlights the unpredictable and fascinating nature of geological processes on our planet.
Beyond its fleeting existence, this “ghost” of land tells us a story of volcanic forces that seem straight out of a science fiction movie. How is it possible for an island to appear and disappear so quickly? Here we explore the keys behind this mystery that has captured the world’s attention.
a sudden birth
In early 2023, a mud volcano called Kumani Banklocated about 25 kilometers off the coast of Azerbaijan, erupted. This type of volcano, less known than the traditional ones, expels a mixture of sludge, gases and sediments when underground pressure builds up to extreme levels. In this case, The eruption generated a temporary island that reached a diameter of approximately 400 meters.
The Landsat 8 and 9 satellites, equipped with the advanced OLI and OLI-2 instruments, recorded this unique phenomenon. In November 2022, images showed the summit of the volcano still below the sea surface. However, by February 2023, a land mass was already visible, accompanied by a plume of sediment extending towards the water.
This type of event is not new in the region. Since the first recorded eruption of the Kumani Bank in 1861, several islands have formed, some small enough to last just a few months, while others have managed to endure for years before succumbing to waves and ocean currents.
The disappearance of the island
The “ghost island” It began to crumble as quickly as it appeared. As 2024 progressed, NASA satellites captured its progressive erosionuntil by the end of that year only a small vestige remained above sea level.
This process of disappearance is the result of the constant action of waterwhich wears away the sediments that make up these temporary islands. The currents and waves of the Caspian Sea act as sculptors, gradually reducing the structures formed by the volcanic mud until nothing is visible.
The fascinating thing is that each Kumani Bank eruption has a different outcome. In 1950, for example, an island 700 meters in diameter was formed that lasted several years before disappearing.. However, on other occasions, such as in 1861, the islands barely survived a few months.
The mysterious mud volcanoes
Mud volcanoes are geological phenomena that still hold many secrets. Unlike traditional volcanoes, they do not expel lava, but rather a mixture of water, sediment and gases, such as methane and carbon dioxide. These volcanoes usually form in tectonically active regions, where underground layers accumulate pressure that eventually finds an escape route to the surface.
Azerbaijan is home to more than 300 of these volcanoesboth on land and underwater. This Caspian region is a point of convergence of the Eurasian and Arabian tectonic plates, which explains the high geological activity. On the other hand, the hydrocarbon system present in the area contributes to the emission of flammable gases, which Sometimes they produce visual spectacles of flames that reach hundreds of meters in height..
Although the Kumani Bank eruption in 2023 was not confirmed to generate flames, previous events in the same area have been accompanied by these fire columns. This link between mud volcanoes and hydrocarbon reserves makes these phenomena a point of interest for both geology and the energy industry..
Beyond the Caspian: a phenomenon with echoes on Mars
Interest in mud volcanoes is not limited to our planet. Scientists believe similar structures could exist on Marsspecifically in the northern plains of the red planet. These extraterrestrial “volcanoes” could have formed under similar conditions, with gases and sediments emerging from underground.
Studies of mud volcanoes on Earth, such as those in Azerbaijan, not only help better understand our own planet, but could also offer key clues for future missions to Mars. Could these phenomena be the key to understanding the geological history of other worlds?
