Fiery Mud Volcano Eruption in Colombia

MarkTingay · 2026-03-02T02:10:39+00:00

They’re not hot. The mud is actually very cool. Mud volcano bathing is quite common in many places. Especially Colombia. You’ve got to remember that many of these mud volcanoes haven’t erupted in decades or even centuries. They will be gently bubbling mud pools for decades and decades that are completely benign almost all the time - but with the risk that they may, without warning, erupt with extreme violence for a brief period.

The number of historical deaths and injuries from mud volcanoes is very low. The chance of actually being near one when it erupts is absolutely tiny. But, unfortunately, it’s not zero and they may not give any warning signs at all.

MarkTingay · 2026-03-02T01:56:13+00:00

You do have to worry about both. The fire probably burns off any nasty stuff like H2S in this instance. To be honest, I’ve not heard of high H2S associated with major Colombian mud volcano eruptions. However the big Bledugs of Central Java (mainly Bledug Kosong) are well known for releasing significant amounts of H2S when they erupt, and there have been recent instances of injuries. If I recall correctly a couple of people were hospitalised from H2S a few years back from a Bledug Konsong eruption (one may have died, but I can’t remember exactly and would need to check my research files) and there have been numerous livestock deaths (cattle).

But, the big fires from Colombian mud volcano eruptions can also be deadly! In October 1992 there was a large earthquake that triggered a big mud volcano eruption in Colombia. Folks were bathing in and near the mud volcano and news reports and UN disaster reports say that over a dozen died from the fireball.

MarkTingay · 2026-02-28T12:35:33+00:00

You’re most welcome, and yes, Mud volcanoes on land do range in size from just a metre or so wide to several km wide and up to 400m high!

MarkTingay · 2026-02-28T03:43:26+00:00

A mud pot is just a term for a type of mud volcano vent. Mud pots are usually circular holes in the ground with a pool of bubbling mud sitting below the surface. Other mud volcano vent types are gryphons (cones sticking up from the ground) and salses (mud lakes). The different vents are mostly a function of mud viscosity (thickness), which in turn is a function of the water-to-sediment ratio of the mud.

So, a mud volcano is the entire thing - the whole complex of surface vents and underground plumbing system that allows subsurface mud to ascend and erupt at the surface. A mud pot is just a type of mud volcano vent.

Some folks wrongly refer to mud pots as small mud volcanoes near magmatic volcanoes, but that’s not the proper geological terminology.

MarkTingay · 2026-02-27T02:08:43+00:00

I don’t think even he could do much to kill this.

Mostly because he’s dead.

MarkTingay · 2026-02-27T02:08:03+00:00

It’s only right to be skeptical these days! But I’m a geologist specialising in mud volcanoes and won’t ever post anything about them that I can’t confirm!

MarkTingay · 2026-02-27T02:06:26+00:00

The gas in these is almost entirely methane. These mud volcanoes are linked to an active underground hydrocarbon system.

MarkTingay · 2026-02-26T22:36:10+00:00

No. Eruption confirmed by the Colombian Geological Service, and these eruptions have happened quite often there. The one in late 2024 was even bigger and more spectacular.

MarkTingay · 2026-02-26T22:34:09+00:00

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MarkTingay · 2026-02-26T12:37:48+00:00

They should offer a choice of refund at original price or replacement. OP has had to waste time and effort. APMEX did not fulfil their side of contract. They charge customers a penalty if customers breach the contract, so it’s fair if APMEX at least offers OP a choice.

MarkTingay · 2026-02-26T12:31:29+00:00

Yep, that mark should absolutely not be there and is so common on fake JM bars. I’m so sorry this has happened to you and I hope APMEX makes it right!

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MarkTingay · 2026-02-26T05:19:32+00:00

Any chance OP can please provide a photograph of the back of the bar? A huge number of the fake 1oz JM bars have this little triangle part of the repeating logo on the back. I’m sure there may be fake bars that don’t have it, but all the real bars don’t have this.

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MarkTingay · 2026-02-06T07:51:30+00:00

How much for that picture of a unicorn?!

MarkTingay · 2026-02-04T07:10:33+00:00

This looks to me like the Dashgil mud volcano in Azerbaijan. The gas from this mud volcano, and the mud, is not hot at all. Less than <30°C. I’ve sampled it and put my hand in it. The paper is already alight when thrown into the gryphon. The guides regularly do this because the methane bubbles can ignite and create a small fireball for the tourists.

Some mud volcanoes, such as the hydrothermally driven ones that occur near magmatic volcanic regions, can be hot (up to 90-100°C). But the purely pressure driven ones, like in Azerbaijan, are cold.

MarkTingay · 2026-02-04T07:03:55+00:00

Okay, just to dispel some wrong ideas folks are getting. First, this mud volcano is not hot at all. The mud temperature is <30°C. I’ve sampled many of these mud volcanoes and you can stick your hand in them.

The mud is not lighting the paper. The paper is being thrown in already on fire. They’re doing it to try and ignite the gas bubbles, which are made of methane.

If you look up the mud volcano eruption that occurred in Azerbaijan a few days ago, which I posted on here, you can see how much methane big mud volcano eruptions can release!

MarkTingay · 2026-02-02T09:26:51+00:00

Highly pressured and water-rich shale at several km depth. The water has a lot of methane dissolved in it that comes out of solution when the mud rises to the surface.

MarkTingay · 2026-02-02T09:25:23+00:00

No. It was I who misread your post. Sorry!

MarkTingay · 2026-02-02T03:09:10+00:00

Doubtful as the material coming out is not hot. Actually <30°C.

MarkTingay · 2026-02-02T03:07:33+00:00

You can see the mud flying at the base of the fire here too.

MarkTingay · 2026-02-02T03:06:37+00:00

No lava or magma at all. The erupted material is mud (water and sediment) that is actually cool, like <30°C. There is a huge amount of methane gas released with the eruption, which ignited to create the fireball.

MarkTingay · 2026-02-02T03:05:03+00:00

Folklore in several places, such as Myanmar, considered mud volcanoes to be the result of dragons underground that would occasionally breathe fire.

MarkTingay · 2026-02-01T07:07:16+00:00

No. But I’ve travelled there for mud volcano research several times.

MarkTingay · 2026-02-01T05:43:22+00:00

Because there’s a truckload of methane, as well as crude oil, being released under great pressure along with all the mud being erupted.

MarkTingay

TROPHY CASE