Sometimes it's there, sometimes it's gone: that's the secret behind this "ghost island"
Azerbaijan - A small island in the Caspian Sea is playing hide and seek with explorers - at least that's how it seems. Because the "Kumani Bank" is apparently invisible from time to time. How is this possible? Dr. Mark Tingay provides an explanation.
Mud volcano expert Dr. Mark Tingay talks about his groundbreaking discovery on the social media platform Threads.
Over the past few years, the researcher has examined satellite images of the Caspian Sea and discovered that every now and then an island appears off the coast of Azerbaijan!
However, the land mass didn't just appear at some point and has been there ever since. It seems as if it disappears over the years and reappears after a while. This also gives it its nickname "Ghost Island".
The reason for this curious natural spectacle is the geological characteristics of the region. There are many mud volcanoes around Azerbaijan and one of them is apparently also located in the Caspian Sea, around 20 kilometers off the coast.
When it erupts, it spews out huge amounts of mud. This mud then seems to solidify somewhat over time and form an island, which then becomes visible on satellite images.
Over time, the water gradually removes the layers of mud and the island disappears into the depths of the sea until a new one forms during the next eruption.
The development of the island over the past two years
First documented outbreak as early as May 1861
Dr. Tingay writes that the last island had a diameter of a good 400 meters and emerged between January and February 2023. Since then, it has been disappearing a little more every day. Not even a quarter of the original surface area is now left.
According to his research, the first documented eruption must have taken place in May 1861. Incidentally, "Kumani Bank" was named after the first ship to visit the small land mass. The island disappeared again shortly after New Year 1862. Unfortunately, the researcher has not yet been able to find a regular rhythm to the eruptions.
But Tingay is more surprised that no one has yet reported on this phenomenon, as it is only a few kilometers from the mainland.
He writes: "You would think that at some point a fisherman must have passed by, noticed the island and posted it on the internet. It seems as if this ten-hectare island just appeared and nobody cared."