Massive explosions erupted off Azerbaijan’s coast in the Caspian Sea, sending plumes of flames and black flames into the sky.
According to the authorities, the blast that happened in a region rich in oil and gas resources on Sunday was caused by a mud volcano.
The damage was minor, as none of the oil fields were destroyed and no one was injured, according to the authorities.
The blast took place about 10 km, from the Umid gas field, which is around 75 km off the coast from Baku – Azerbaijan’s capital city. The fire smoldering throughout Monday, but it posed no threat to oil and gas infrastructure or people’s lives. It is said that fire had been caused by a mud volcano, which spews both mud and flammable gases.
Mud volcanoes resemble regular volcanoes but lack lava. They are generated by water heated to extremes within the Earth, mixing with rocks and minerals as it erupts, forcing the combination to the surface, where it catches fire.
While it is currently unknown how a mud volcano may catch fire spontaneously, one hypothesis suggests that it could happen when sparks from striking boulders ignite a combination of combustible gases.
Azerbaijan is home to around 400 of the world’s estimated 1,000 mud volcanoes. The country is also known as the “Land of Fire,” because of its enormous oil and natural gas reserves. Explorer Marco Polo wrote about the fires in the 13th Century.
“Azerbaijan’s mud volcanoes are among the world’s largest and most destructive. Each year, several major mud volcanic eruptions occur on average, and many of these can result in huge flames.” Geophysicist Dr. Mark Tingay of the University of Adelaide wrote on Twitter.
The explosion occurred after a fire on the ocean surface in the Gulf of Mexico was put out on Friday after blazing for almost five hours. A gas leak from an undersea conduit was blamed for the Blaze.
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