Mud Volcanoes In Azerbaijan

There are 3 classifications of mud volcanoes according to their activity and behavior: eruptive, dormant, and extinct. Methane-rich fluids generate overpressure at great depths that lead to the eruption of mud volcanoes. Since mud volcanoes can be extremely dangerous when they erupt, people have always been aware of them. However, mud volcanoes, including those in Azerbaijan, are considered tourist attractions in some countries due to their unique structure.

Unique Characteristics of Mud Volcanoes in Azerbaijan

Mud volcanoes are widespread throughout the world and linked to specific geological structures (active and passive margins, thrust and overthrust belts, and so on.) of the Earth. Eastern Azerbaijan and the adjacent water area of the Southern Caspian Basin are the territories in the world where volcanoes are mostly distributed, and in total, there are more than 353 mud volcanoes and mud volcanic manifestations in the territory of Azerbaijan, especially in the Shamakhi-Gobustan region, researchers have registered more than 100 mud volcanoes (120 more precisely) that we can consider one of the largest mud volcanic areas. Also, there are other territories where researchers registered mud volcanoes; however, the frequency of eruptions during each day is different in Azerbaijan, and it is the main reason why mud volcanoes in this country receive more attention. Moreover, in Azerbaijan, eruptions of mud volcanoes usually continue for less than several hours, and when these volcanoes erupt, there is an eruption of the hydrocarbon gases and water around. Furthermore, there are all types of mud volcanoes in Azerbaijan, which gives us a lot of opportunities to get enough information about their activity. All this information confirms how fascinating visiting mud volcanoes can be and how important it is to study them in Azerbaijan and all over the world.

Some unique Mud volcanoes in Azerbaijan

Dashgil mud volcano which is located in Azerbaijan is one of the most active mud volcanoes in the world and is prominent among the 200 mud volcanoes in Azerbaijan. Eruptions in the Dashgil mud volcano last for a few days, and during this eruption, there are bursts and flares caused by methane, gas, and oil. A lot of gryphons can be observed in the Dashgil mud volcano. Gryphon is a small, cone-shaped feature that forms on the volcano's surface. Gryphons are often several meters high and formed by the expulsion of mud, water, and gases from the subsurface. Each gryphon emits approximately 600-700 m² of gas per day in this mud volcano, and these emitted gases create whitish steam around the peak of a gryphon. The lithology of this mud volcano mainly consists of clay. Dashgil Mud Volcano is considered one of the most visited mud volcanoes in Azerbaijan, not only by the local population, but also by tourists who are looking to see unique places in Azerbaijan and add some special memories to their visit to Baku.

Another interesting mud volcano that can be seen in Azerbaijan is Lokbatan Mud Volcano. This mud volcano is one of the volcanoes that erupts most often on Earth with eruption approximately every 5 years, compared to other volcanoes not only in Azerbaijan, but also among other volcanoes in the world, and this is the reason for which people usually choose the Lokbatan mud volcano when they want to study mud volcanoes and learn something new about them. However, nobody has ever seen some active parts of this volcano there, and it is a main difference between Lokbatan mud volcano and other active volcanoes in the world.

The Goturdagh mud volcano is also a main point for the people when they want to see unique mud volcanoes in Azerbaijan. This volcano has a cone shape, and it is located approximately 50 km to the south of Baku. There is some research on Goturdagh mud volcano, and it is a known fact that this volcano is not an active one. Its host rock and geological features are similar to those of magmatic volcanoes with intermediate composition. However, there is still missing information about the eruption of this volcano, because people have not made any measurements to get the deep structure of this volcano.