This Island in the Caspian Sea Is Almost Gone

An land created by the eruption of a mud volcano successful the Caspian Sea is yet going the mode of the dodo, based connected outer images of the structure.

The land formed successful aboriginal 2023, erstwhile a mud volcano successful the Caspian Sea’s Kumani Bank, astir 15 miles (24 kilometers) disconnected the seashore of Azerbaijan, burst. The landmass is called Chigil-Deniz, but based connected NASA satellites, it volition soon beryllium nary more. After 2 years, erosion has condemned the land to Davy Jones’ Locker.

The images supra amusement the country successful November 2022 earlier the land appeared (left), February 2023 arsenic it emerged (center), and December 2024 (right). NASA’s Landsat 8 and 9 satellites captured the images. As you tin tell, the land was not there, past it was there, and is present a specified pinprick compared to its erstwhile size.

The Kumani Bank’s exposed land disconnected the Azerbaijan coast. Image: NASA Earth Observatory images by Wanmei Liang, utilizing Landsat information from the U.S. Geological Survey.

Volcanic eruptions signifier islands due to the fact that unit beneath the planet’s aboveground volition propulsion fluids, gases, and sediments to the surface, often explosively. Sometimes those events make onshore (see above), but sometimes they destruct it; the 2022 Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai eruption was truthful explosive it destroyed astir of the land wherever it occurred, adjacent though the volcano was underwater.

According to University of Adelaide geologist Mark Tingay, the land measured astir 1,300 feet (400 meters) crossed erstwhile it archetypal formed successful precocious January and aboriginal February 2023. But by past month, the bank’s protruded land had importantly diminished.

Mud volcanoes are communal successful the region; according to the aforesaid release, Azerbaijan and the Caspian Sea are big to much than 300 of the singular structures. In 2021, 1 specified volcano launched flames more than 1,500 feet (457 meters) into the air. The Kumani Bank eruption was little fiery but conscionable arsenic marvelous—creating caller onshore sharply spotted by NASA’s satellites.

The bank’s eruptions person been recorded for implicit 150 years. One 1861 eruption besides produced an island—albeit a smaller one, conscionable 285 feet (87 meters) across, that eroded distant by the pursuing year. According to a NASA Earth Observatory release, the strongest known eruption occurred successful 1950 and produced an land a whopping 2,300 feet (700 meters) across.

It tin beryllium hard to predict volcanic eruptions, but 1 happening is for certain: When different mud volcano blows its top, NASA satellites volition beryllium capable to seizure the aftermath.