It's a fake volcano that spits mud!

Mud volcano is a unique geological phenomenon. Its shape is similar to that of volcanoes formed by magma, but the materials erupted by mud volcanoes are mainly mud, water and gas (such as methane, carbon dioxide, etc.), rather than hot magma. Therefore, mud volcanoes like to "spit" mud seriously, and they are actually "fake" volcanoes!

There are many classifications of mud volcanoes. According to their shapes, they can be divided into accumulation cone type, concave basin type and semi-accumulation cone concave basin type; according to the height of the cone, they can be divided into large, medium and small types; according to their geographical location, they can be divided into land and submarine mud volcanoes; they can also be divided according to the size of the mud crater, natural and artificial causes, etc. Mud volcanoes mainly develop in basins with fast sedimentation rates and lateral compression tectonic effects on the continental margin. Their formation and eruption are related to underground rich oil and natural gas, earthquakes and volcanic activities. The eruption of a mud volcano requires three elements: a mud source, an ascending channel and pressurized gas. In addition, mud volcanoes are of great significance to the study of regional tectonic, biogeochemistry, geological disasters, global climate change and oil and gas exploration. Today, they have become one of the hot spots in earth science research.

There are more than 40 mud volcano areas developed on land and more than 20 mud volcano areas developed on the seafloor. The number of mud volcanoes in each development area ranges from a few to more than a hundred. In general, there are more than 2,000 mud volcanoes on land and on the seafloor in the world, distributed in China, Italy, the United States, Azerbaijan, Iran and Romania. In addition, the gases released by land mud volcanoes are mainly methane, as well as nitrogen, carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide, while the gases released by submarine mud volcanoes include nitrogen, carbon dioxide, hydrocarbons, sulfides and inert gases.

Azerbaijan mud volcano group (above, sourced from the Internet), mud volcanoes and sulfur crystals near the vents in the Santa Felicita area of ​​Naples, Italy (bottom left first and second from the left, original images), Liyushan mud volcano in Pingtung County, Taiwan Province, China (bottom right second, sourced from the Internet) and Aiqigou No. 2 mud volcano in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China (bottom right first, original image)

my country's mud volcanoes are mainly distributed in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Qinghai Province, Taiwan Province and Sichuan Province. Among them, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is the main distribution area of ​​my country's mud volcanoes, and mud volcanoes are mainly distributed in Wusu (Baiyanggou and Aiqigou), Dushanzi and Horgos. The strata in these mud volcano outcropping areas are mainly muddy sandstones, rich in multi-layer groundwater, which usually has the characteristics of high lamination pressure, high mineralization, and high natural gas or oil content.

Spatial distribution map and digital elevation model map of some mud volcano groups in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (Image source: Jilin-1 high-resolution satellite earth observation image and National Geographic Information Public Service Platform)

The Wusu mud volcano group is located in the hilly area on the northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains in my country, at the intersection of the Hongche Fault and the Urumqi West-West Gunan Fault (among which, the Urumqi West-West Gunan Fault was active at least in the late Pleistocene), mainly including the Baiyanggou mud volcano group and the Aiqigou mud volcano group. Among them, the Baiyanggou mud volcano group is located about 43 kilometers southwest of Wusu City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. All mud volcanoes are concentrated in an area of ​​less than 0.5 square kilometers near Baiyanggou Town, scattered on hillsides and valleys with a radius of about half a kilometer. The Quaternary strata in the distribution area of ​​the mud volcano group are mainly divided into sand dunes, aeolian loess and sandstone. There are more than 100 mud craters at most, and currently 21-40 are erupting. The largest diameter mud crater is about 1.6 meters, which is also the largest mud volcano group in my country. These mud craters are mostly round or oval, and the gushing natural gas and mud are constantly churning in the craters. The more violent mud volcanoes erupt more than 60 times per minute. The mud is thick and smooth, with a slightly salty taste. Some mud volcanoes have oil floating on the surface of the mud, as if the earth is boiling. Scientists have determined that the mud is rich in methane, radon, hydrogen and carbon dioxide. The temperature of the mud gushing out of the Baiyanggou mud volcano group is so low that it feels cold when you put your hands in it. Locals also call it the "cool volcano."

Mud volcano No. 1 in the Aiqigou mud volcano group in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (original image)

Most of the mud volcanoes in the Aiqigou mud volcano group are isolated cones, and the Quaternary strata in the distribution area of ​​the mud volcano group are mainly sand, mud and sub-sand soil. Among them, two mud volcanoes are about 9 meters high and about 10 meters apart. They are rare "twin mud cone mud volcanoes" in my country. Compared with the Baiyanggou mud volcano group, its eruption products are more viscous and its appearance is similar to that of volcanoes formed by magma. The surface of the mud pile is covered with dense flow marks and scour marks. These marks are intertwined, resembling the "big tree roots" that entangle the two mud volcanoes. From a distance, the two mud volcanoes are like sisters wearing long skirts that drag on the ground, which are particularly eye-catching among the mountains. The mud volcano on the north side of the two mud volcanoes is slightly taller, with a vent diameter of about 3.2 meters; while the mud volcano on the south side is slightly smaller, with a vent diameter of about 3 meters. The eruption of the Aiqigou mud volcano group is more intense than that of the Baiyanggou mud volcano group, erupting once every ten minutes. When the volcano erupts, the vent of the mud volcano is like a boiling pot, with colorful oil-stained mud rolling from the middle of the vent to the surrounding areas, making gurgling sounds. At the edge of the vent of the mud volcano, there is a gap formed by the overflow of mud. The gushing mud extends outward in circles like ripples of water, and slowly flows out along the gap of the mud volcano crater.

Aiqigou Mud Volcanoes No. 1 and No. 2 in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (top left, original image), Baiyanggou Mud Volcano Group No. 1 (top right, original image), Dushanzi Mud Volcano Group (bottom left, image from the Internet), and cold springs in Madagascar (bottom right, original image)

The Dushanzi mud volcano group is located in Huangtu Mountain, about 1 km southwest of the Dushanzi mining area of ​​the Xinjiang Petroleum Administration Bureau, near the Hongche Fault, with an altitude of about 950 meters. A large-scale eruption occurred in 1995. The Quaternary strata in the distribution area of ​​the mud volcano group are mainly composed of aeolian sand dunes, aeolian loess and gravel sand, and the Neogene strata are mainly composed of sandstone, siliceous limestone, sandy conglomerate and shell limestone. There are four main eruption vents in the Dushanzi mud volcano group, which are concentrated within 500 square meters of the top platform of Huangtu Mountain. The maximum diameter of the mud volcano vent is about 1.4 meters, and the smallest diameter is about 5 centimeters. The viscous mud ejected is mostly gray-green with a slight smell of oil. The gushing mud forms a cone-shaped hill on the surface. The diameter of the bottom of the mud volcano group exceeds 10 meters, and the surface is a dry and cracked mud block. At present, most vents have stopped spewing mud, but a small amount of gas is still overflowing.

Compared with the cold springs in Madagascar in southeastern Africa, the mud volcanoes in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region show a unique "mellowness". If the super-active volcano Campi Flegrei in Italy, the large active volcano Stromboli in Italy and the large active volcano Tianchi in Changbai Mountain show the power and beauty of nature, then the mud volcanoes in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region show the wonder and uniqueness of nature!

Italy's Campi Flegrei super active volcano (left), Italy's Stromboli large active volcano (middle) and China's Changbai Mountain Tianchi large active volcano (right) (all original images)

Mud volcanoes can be divided into natural mud volcanoes (formed by geological action) and artificial mud volcanoes (induced by oil and gas extraction or drilling) according to their causes. Among them, natural mud volcanoes can be roughly divided into two types of causes: the formation of one type of mud volcano is related to sedimentation, that is, there is a thick layer of plastic organic-rich sediments underground, which contains a large amount of water and hydrocarbon gases. They often have great pressure. When encountering cracks or faults in the crust movement, the water and gas under high pressure will expand and rise. The mud and rock debris around the rising channel are ejected to the surface, accompanied by jets (including water vapor) and mud, and sometimes fire (gases such as methane spontaneously ignite at high temperatures) to form mud volcanoes. This type of mud volcano is mostly formed in areas with developed oil and gas reservoirs, such as the mud volcanoes in the Baku oil field in Azerbaijan, the Dushanzi and Baiyanggou mud volcanoes in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China, and are also called "gasoline volcanoes". Therefore, in a sense, mud volcanoes are an important sign for finding oil and gas reservoirs; the formation of another type of mud volcano is related to volcanic activity, such as the mud volcanoes in Yellowstone Park in the United States, which are not only numerous but also large in scale.

Globally, the eruption intensity of most mud volcanoes is not severe and will not have a significant impact or damage to the surrounding natural environment. A few mud volcanoes will have extremely strong eruptions, and the large amount of gas ejected will have a certain impact or obvious destructive effect on the surrounding environment. The eruption of mud volcanoes will also be accompanied by flames and high-temperature mud ejection, and the erupted mud can cover more than several square kilometers, causing significant damage to surrounding towns, villages and infrastructure. In October 2004, a magnitude 6.2 earthquake occurred in Taiwan Province, my country. Before the earthquake, mud volcanoes in Kaohsiung County erupted several times, and the frequency and intensity of the eruptions increased significantly. Shortly after the earthquake, relevant departments in Taiwan Province began to conduct gas geochemical and seismic observations on the mud volcano group near the seismogenic fault. Similarly, scientists have studied the correlation between mud volcanoes and seismic activity in the northern Tianshan region of Xinjiang, my country, and believe that mud volcano activity is a manifestation of crustal movement during the process of strengthening tectonic stress in the Tianshan region. In short, although mud volcanoes do not have the magnificent natural landscapes of mountains formed by violent tectonic movements and volcanoes formed by magma, their formation mechanism and the relationship between resources and disasters have attracted much attention from scientists. Moreover, mud volcanoes are also an important research object to reveal the migration of underground fluids, oil and gas generation, and tectonic activities.

Savushen Mountain in Sichuan Province in winter (left) and the aurora at night (center) and Tianchi Volcano in Changbai Mountain, Jilin Province in spring (right) (original images)

In addition, the mud that erupts from mud volcanoes usually contains minerals and trace elements such as calcium, magnesium, iron, barium, copper, and zinc, and has certain antibacterial and oil-control effects. The microporous structure of volcanic mud can absorb oil, dirt, and aged keratin on the surface of the skin, and can play a physical cleaning role, similar to the principle of activated carbon, suitable for oily skin or T-zone (forehead and nose) care. In short, the application of volcanic mud in the field of beauty is not without basis, but has a certain scientific basis, but its effect and applicability still need to be combined with personal skin quality and scientific usage methods.

Colombian mud volcano bathing pool (Photo from the Internet)

This issue of science popularization ends! Friends, see you next time!

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Author of this issue: Li Mengmeng, Institute of Volcanology, China Earthquake Administration, Jilin Changbai Mountain Volcano National Field Scientific Observation and Research Station, Jilin Province Earthquake Administration, Volcano Laboratory Engineer

Xu Zhitao Institute of Volcanology, China Earthquake Administration Jilin Changbai Mountain Volcano National Field Scientific Observation and Research Station Jilin Provincial Earthquake Administration Vesuvius Volcano Observatory, Naples, Italy Senior Engineer/PhD

Ye Xiqing, Engineer of Volcano Laboratory, Jilin Province Earthquake Administration, Institute of Volcanology, China Earthquake Administration, Jilin Changbai Mountain Volcano National Field Scientific Observation and Research Station

Sun Liying, Jilin Seismological Station, Jilin Changbai Mountain Volcano National Field Scientific Observation and Research Station, Jilin Province Seismological Bureau Engineer

Pan Bo Jilin Changbai Mountain Volcano National Field Scientific Observation and Research Station Key Laboratory of Active Tectonics and Volcanoes, China Earthquake Administration Institute of Geology, China Earthquake Administration Researcher/PhD

Yao Yuan, Researcher/PhD, National Field Scientific Observation and Research Station of Pamir Intracontinental Subduction, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Seismological Bureau

Wu Nier, Senior Engineer, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Seismological Bureau

Yan Wei, Senior Engineer, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Seismological Bureau

Wang Junxian Engineer/PhD, China National Nuclear Corporation Key Laboratory of Uranium Resources Exploration and Evaluation, Beijing Institute of Geology, Nuclear Industry

Zhang Yong, Researcher/PhD, Institute of Mineral Resources, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences

Alessandro S. Senior Researcher/PhD, Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology, Rome, Italy

Ventura G Senior Researcher/PhD, Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology, Rome, Italy

Lupi M. Professor/PhD, School of Earth Sciences, University of Geneva, Switzerland

Xu Yueren, Researcher/PhD, Institute of Forecasting, China Earthquake Administration

Li Wenqiao, Senior Engineer/PhD, Institute of Forecasting, China Earthquake Administration

Yan Hengqi, Jilin Earthquake Station, Jilin Province Earthquake Bureau, Assistant Engineer

Li Yihong, Engineer, Information Center (Emergency Service Center) of Jilin Province Earthquake Administration

Ren Fangyu, Jilin Earthquake Station, Jilin Province Earthquake Bureau, Assistant Engineer

Zhang Yu, Senior Engineer, Chengdu Geological Survey Center, China Geological Survey

Li Haiyan, Senior Engineer/PhD, Fujian Natural Disaster Prevention and Control Technology Research Institute, Fujian Seismological Bureau

Eugenio N. Associate Professor/PhD, School of Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Calabria, Italy

Carolina B. Vesuvius Observatory, Naples, Italy. PhD, University of Cambridge, UK

Bai Lingan Professor/PhD, School of Earth Sciences, Guilin University of Technology

Han Shijiong Associate Professor/PhD, College of Earth Sciences, Jilin University

Yan Qinghe Associate Professor/PhD, School of Earth Sciences, Yunnan University

Liu Yanpeng Assistant Researcher/Postdoctoral Fellow, Beijing Institute of Mineral Geology

Yi Jian Associate Professor/PhD, School of Earth Sciences, Jilin University

Wei Feixiang, Jilin Changbai Mountain Volcano National Field Scientific Observation and Research Station, Institute of Geology, China Earthquake Administration, Associate Researcher/PhD, Key Laboratory of Active Tectonics and Volcanology, China Earthquake Administration

Gu Guohui, Engineer, Volcano Laboratory, Jilin Province Earthquake Administration, Institute of Volcanology, China Earthquake Administration, Jilin Changbai Mountain Volcano National Field Scientific Observation and Research Station

Xu Dan, Jilin Province Changbai Mountain Tianchi Volcano Monitoring Station, Jilin Changbai Mountain Volcano National Field Scientific Observation and Research Station, Jilin Province Seismological Bureau Engineer

Jin Wenhu, Second-level Chief Clerk of Jilin Provincial Seismological Bureau

Zhao Chunhua, Level 3 Researcher, Jilin Province Seismological Bureau

Li Bingsu, Senior Engineer/PhD, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Seismological Bureau

Sveva·R·M PhD, University of Florence, Vesuvius Observatory, Naples, Italy

Li Zhongwei, Senior Engineer, Jilin Earthquake Disaster Risk Prevention and Control Center, Jilin Province Earthquake Bureau

Feng Jingqiao, Senior Engineer, Jilin Earthquake Disaster Risk Prevention and Control Center, Jilin Seismological Bureau

Ma Xiaoxi, Senior Engineer/PhD, Jilin Earthquake Station and Jilin Province Earthquake Bureau

Song Yujia, Engineer, Volcano Laboratory, Jilin Province Earthquake Administration, Institute of Volcanology, China Earthquake Administration, Jilin Changbai Mountain Volcano National Field Scientific Observation and Research Station

Zhao Chuntao Assistant Researcher/PhD, Qinghai Institute of Salt Lakes, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Chu Xiaolei, PhD, School of Computer Science and Engineering, Southeast University

Guan Sheng, Engineer, Volcano Laboratory, Jilin Province Earthquake Administration, Institute of Volcanology, China Earthquake Administration, Jilin Changbai Mountain Volcano National Field Scientific Observation and Research Station

Jia Baojin, Senior Engineer, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Seismological Bureau

Bao Baoxiao, Senior Engineer, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Seismological Bureau

Xi Wenya, Engineer, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Seismological Bureau

Liang Xiaolong, Engineer, Baotou Rare Earth Research Institute, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region

Zhang Xin, Guangdong Provincial Seismological Bureau, Senior Engineer/PhD, University of Science and Technology of China

Fu Shu, Intermediate Accountant, Jilin Province Earthquake Bureau

Ren Xiaoyan, Level 4 Chief Clerk of Jilin Provincial Seismological Bureau

Salvotore G. Senior Researcher/PhD, Etna Observatory, Catania, Italy

Stefano C. Senior Researcher/PhD, Vesuvius Observatory, Naples, Italy

Yonggang Sun Associate Professor/Postdoctoral Fellow, School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China

Zhang Kun Assistant Researcher/Postdoctoral Fellow, School of Geographical Sciences, Northeast Normal University

Pablo R.P. Associate Professor/PhD, School of Earth Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain

Roberto M. Vesuvius Observatory, Naples, Italy. Federico II University of Naples. Researcher/PhD., Center for Geosciences, Potsdam, Germany

Liu Songjun Engineer of Jilin Province Seismological Bureau, Changbai Mountain Tianchi Volcano Monitoring Station, Jilin Province

Zhang Sen, Postdoctoral Fellow, College of Geological Engineering and Surveying, Chang'an University

Gu Alei Senior Engineer/PhD, Tianjin Geological Survey Center, China Geological Survey

Zhang Xiaotian Associate Professor/PhD, School of Earth Sciences, East China University of Technology

Chen Mingyang Northwest Bureau of China Metallurgical Geology Bureau China University of Geosciences (Wuhan) Engineer

Xu Chuan Postdoctoral fellow, School of Geophysics, Chengdu University of Technology

Hou Jie, Engineer/PhD, First Monitoring Center, China Earthquake Administration

Xu Zhikai Assistant Researcher/Postdoctoral Fellow, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Liu Chaoyang Assistant Researcher/Postdoctoral Fellow, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Zhang Peng, Senior Engineer/PhD, Shenyang Geological Survey Center, China Geological Survey

Zou Yaoyao Engineer/PhD, Wuhan Geological Survey Center, China Geological Survey

Priyeshu S Indian Institute of Geomagnetic Research (Mumbai, India) Researcher/Postdoctoral Fellow

Arsène T.S. Senior Engineer, Goma Volcano Observatory, Democratic Republic of Congo

Francesco L Senior Engineer, Vesuvius Observatory, Naples, Italy

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