No one would ever assume that the Caspian Sea is among the most haunted places in the world, but it's definitely home to an eerie mystery. In what might be Earth's most impressive vanishing trick of 2023, a ghost island popped up in the Caspian Sea and then faded out of existence just as quickly.
NASA satellites caught this geological prankster in action, watching as it emerged from a mud volcano eruption only to slip back beneath the waves like it was never there in the first place.
This particular ghost island, which lurked about 15 miles off Azerbaijan's coast, has given scientists the geological equivalent of a front-row seat to one of nature's rarest shows. Through the eyes of space-based cameras, researchers tracked this now-you-see-it-now-you-don't landmass from its grand entrance to its final bow, teaching everyone a thing or two about how our planet likes to keep things interesting.
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NASA Satellites Caught A Rare Vanishing Spectacle
The space agency's satellites became front-row viewers to this island's arrival
NASA's satellites were in for a rare spectacle when they picked up the nascent formation of this ghost island between January 30th and February 4th, 2023, off the coast of Azerbaijan.
The Landsat 8 and 9 satellites were just doing their usual Earth-watching routine when they spotted it - an island that definitely wasn't on the morning report. This was no Caribbean island getaway, but it was certainly something unique.
By February 14, this surprise guest had grown to a whopping 1,300 feet across, complete with its own muddy tail trailing behind it like a messy reminder of its explosive birth. The culprit? A mud volcano called Kumani Bank (aka Chigil-Deniz to those in the know) is doing what mud volcanoes do best: stirring up trouble in the neighborhood.
By the end of 2024, this geological celebrity had pulled the ultimate Irish goodbye - slowly but surely eroding away until barely a trace remained above water. Natural water currents caused the mud (which didn't really have anything to anchor it) to disperse back into the depths, spiriting it away into the mists of the Caspian Sea and leaving behind only satellite photos and some very excited scientists.
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How Mud Volcanoes Created The Mysterious Vanishing Island
Mud volcanoes prove they're the ultimate party crashers of geology
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Azerbaijan has over 300 mud volcanoes and is thus no stranger to this disappearing island phenomenon. Mud volcanoes are like Earth's version of a champagne bottle pop, except instead of bubbly, they shoot out a mix of mud, water, and gases. Having actually visited a mud volcano in Trinidad, I can confirm that they are some of the strangest volcanoes anyone could ever experience.
When pressure builds up underground (like someone shaking that bottle), everything gets blasted to the surface in a spectacular display (although this latest island formation wasn't accompanied by jets of fire). This ghost island was nature's attempt at building its own private landmass, created solely from muddy eruptions from one of these strange volcanoes. As fascinating as they are, these ghost islands can impact both wildlife and human activities in the area.
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Many More Ghost Islands Have Popped Up In The Past
There's no telling when these mud volcanoes will blow their tops
The Kumani Bank mud volcano near Azerbaijan has seen many more instances of the appearing and disappearing island phenomenon; in fact, records show a May 1861 eruption forming another temporary island. Its first recorded performance created a modest 285-foot-wide island that lasted just long enough to take a bow before disappearing into the sea.
But the real showstopper actually came in 1950 when it produced its biggest hit yet - an island measuring a whopping 2,300 feet across and standing 20 feet tall. Like all great performers, though, each appearance is different, keeping the audience (and scientists) on their toes.
Fun fact: The world's first artificial airport island is also slowly sinking into the sea.
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The 2023 ghost island might have ghosted everyone a few months after its appearance, but its brief presence left behind more than just muddy memories. From teaching lessons about Earth's dynamic geology to helping understand similar features on Mars, this fleeting phenomenon proved that sometimes the best scientific discoveries are the ones that don't stick around.
Who knows? Maybe right now, somewhere in the depths of the Caspian Sea, another mud volcano is warming up for its big debut.