physical parameters that foster MV activity. Other work
focuses on onshore settings such as the prominent Lusi
mud volcano (Mazzini et al., 2007; Mazzini et al., 2009;
Davies et al., 2008), whose triggering mechanism is controversially debated as being somewhere between anthropogenic and seismic. Similarly, other ongoing researches
similarly address the seismic triggering of MVs and how
groundwater flux in onshore settings (Rojstaczer et al.,
1995; Chigira and Tanaka, 1997) as well as methane
release in offshore settings (Tsunogai et al., 2012) may
be associated with it.
Future prospects/research avenues: gaps in
current knowledge
When taking the aforementioned aspect a step further, certain geophysical or geochemical transients can be utilized
to identify earthquake precursory phenomena related to
MV activity. Recent investigations of active domes in the
Kumano Basin, Japan revealed that both methane plumes
in the water column (Tsunogai et al., 2012) and/or pore
pressure and temperature transients in the formation can
be related to seismicity. Historical records further attest
that the chemistry of both aqueous and gaseous fluids
changes a few hours up to a few days prior to large earthquakes, most likely as a result of stress changes at depth
(Kopf et al., 2005). This finding may represent a versatile
way to use MVs as stress indicators because of their fluidrich nature and hydraulic connection to depth. They function similar to a valve; stress changes from deformation
before, during, and after EQs may be discernable as transients in pore pressure, fluid chemistry, and mud or gas
discharge rates if affordable instruments with standardized
data protocols were widely used.
Summary and conclusions
Mud volcanoes represent a global phenomenon where significant amounts of solids and fluids interact between the
geosphere and hydrosphere, thereby providing a window
to depth otherwise hardly accessible by, e.g., drilling.
Ascent is driven by buoyancy and aided by faults and
other pathways, with the MVs being hydraulically
connected to depth and hence may be capable of recording
stress variations and precursors to geohazards. Hydrocarbon emissions from MVs are suspected to not only contribute to greenhouse climate but also to serve as
indicators for reservoirs at depth.
Bibliography
Ansted, D. T., 1866. On the mud volcanoes of the Crimea, and on
the relation of these and similar phenomena to deposits of petroleum. Proceedings of Royal Institute, IV, 628–640.
Bagirov, E., Nadirov, R., and Lerche, I., 1996. Flaming eruptions
and ejections from mud volcanoes in Azerbaijan: statistical risk
assessment from the historical records. Energy Exploration
Exploitation, 14, 535–583.
Barber, A. J., and Brown, K. M., 1988. Mud diapirism: the origin of
mélanges in accretionary complexes? Geology Today, 4, 89–94.
Barber, A. J., Tjokrosapoetro, S., and Charlton, T. R., 1986. Mud
volcanoes, shale diapirs, wrench faults and mélanges in accretionary complexes, eastern Indonesia. AAPG Bulletin, 70,
1729–1741.
Barker, C., and Horsfield, B., 1982. Mechanical versus thermal
cause of abnormally high pore pressures in shales. AAPG Bulletin, 66, 99–100.
Bebout, G., 1995. The impact of subduction-zone metamorphism
on mantle-ocean chemical cycling. Chemical Geology, 126,
191–218.
Bradak, B., and Kereszturi, A., 2003. Mud volcanism as model
for various planetary surface processes. 34th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, Houston TX (Copernicus), Abstract
1304.
Braunstein, G., and O’Brien, G. D., 1968. Indexed bibliography. In:
Braunstein, G., and O’Brien, G. D. (eds.), Diapirism and Diapirs. AAPG Mem., 8, pp. 385–414.
Brown, K. M., 1990. The nature and hydrogeologic significance of
mud diapirs and diatremes for accretionary systems. Journal of
Geophysical Research, 95, 8969–8982.
Burne, R. V., 1970. The origin and significance of sand volcanoes in
teh Bude formation (Cornwall). Sedimentology, 15, 211–228.
Cavagna, S., Clari, P., and Martire, L., 1998. Methane-derived carbonates as an evidence of fossil mud volcanoes: a case history
from the Cenozoic of Northern Italy. In Proceedings
V International Conference on Gas in Marine Sed, Bologna,
Italy, September 2003, pp. 106–110.
Chigira, M., and Tanaka, K., 1997. Structural features and the history of mud volcano in southern Hokkaido, northern Japan.
Journal of the Geological Society Japan, 103, 781–793.
Chiodini, G., D’Alessandro, W., and Parello, F., 1996. Geochemistry of gases and waters discharged by the mud volcanoes at
Paterno, Mt. Etna (Italy). Bulletin of Volcanology, 58, 51–58.
Choffat, P., 1882. Note préliminaire sur les vallés tiphoniques et sur
les eruptions d’Ophite et de teschenite en Portugal. Buletinl de la
Societe Ge ´ologique de France, 10, 3rd ser.
Clennell, M. B., 1992. The Mélanges of Sabah, Malaysia.
Unpublished PhD thesis, University of London, 483pp.
Colten-Bradley, V. A., 1987. Role of pressure in smectite dehydration – effects on geopressure and smectite-to-illite transformation. AAPG Bulletin, 71, 1414–1427.
Davies, R. J., Brumm, M., Manga, M., Rubiandini, R., Swarbrick,
R., and Tingay, M., 2008. The East Java mud volcano (2006 to
present): an earthquake or drilling trigger? Earth and Planetary
Science Letters, 272, 627–638.
De Beer, D., Sauter, E., Niemann, H., Kaul, N., Foucher, J. P., Witte,
U., Schlüter, M., and Boetius, A., 2006. In situ fluxes and zonation of microbial activity in surface sediments of the Håkon
Mosby Mud Volcano. Limnology and Oceanography, 51,
1315–1331.
Dimitrov, L. I., 2002. Mud volcanoes – the most important pathway
for degassing deeply buried sediments. Earth Science Reviews,
59, 49–76.
Dupré, S., Mascle, J., Foucher, J.-P., Harmegnies, F., Woodside, J.,
and Pierre, C., 2014. Warm brine lakes in craters of active mud
volcanoes, Menes caldera off NW Egypt: evidence for deeprooted thermogenic processes. Geo-Marine Letters,
doi:10.1007/s00367-014-0367-1.
Fertl, W. H., 1976. Abnormal formation pressures: implications to
exploration drilling and production of oil and gas. In Developments in Petroleum Science II. Oxford: Elsevier, p. 382.
Fitts, T. G., and Brown, K. M., 1999. Stress induced smectite dehydration ramifications for patterns of freshening fluid expulsion in
the N. Barbados accretionary wedge. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 172, 179–197.
Gorkun, V. N., and Siryk, I. M., 1968. Calculating depth of deposition and volume of gas expelled during eruptions of mud
534
MUD VOLCANO
focuses on onshore settings such as the prominent Lusi
mud volcano (Mazzini et al., 2007; Mazzini et al., 2009;
Davies et al., 2008), whose triggering mechanism is controversially debated as being somewhere between anthropogenic and seismic. Similarly, other ongoing researches
similarly address the seismic triggering of MVs and how
groundwater flux in onshore settings (Rojstaczer et al.,
1995; Chigira and Tanaka, 1997) as well as methane
release in offshore settings (Tsunogai et al., 2012) may
be associated with it.
Future prospects/research avenues: gaps in
current knowledge
When taking the aforementioned aspect a step further, certain geophysical or geochemical transients can be utilized
to identify earthquake precursory phenomena related to
MV activity. Recent investigations of active domes in the
Kumano Basin, Japan revealed that both methane plumes
in the water column (Tsunogai et al., 2012) and/or pore
pressure and temperature transients in the formation can
be related to seismicity. Historical records further attest
that the chemistry of both aqueous and gaseous fluids
changes a few hours up to a few days prior to large earthquakes, most likely as a result of stress changes at depth
(Kopf et al., 2005). This finding may represent a versatile
way to use MVs as stress indicators because of their fluidrich nature and hydraulic connection to depth. They function similar to a valve; stress changes from deformation
before, during, and after EQs may be discernable as transients in pore pressure, fluid chemistry, and mud or gas
discharge rates if affordable instruments with standardized
data protocols were widely used.
Summary and conclusions
Mud volcanoes represent a global phenomenon where significant amounts of solids and fluids interact between the
geosphere and hydrosphere, thereby providing a window
to depth otherwise hardly accessible by, e.g., drilling.
Ascent is driven by buoyancy and aided by faults and
other pathways, with the MVs being hydraulically
connected to depth and hence may be capable of recording
stress variations and precursors to geohazards. Hydrocarbon emissions from MVs are suspected to not only contribute to greenhouse climate but also to serve as
indicators for reservoirs at depth.
Bibliography
Ansted, D. T., 1866. On the mud volcanoes of the Crimea, and on
the relation of these and similar phenomena to deposits of petroleum. Proceedings of Royal Institute, IV, 628–640.
Bagirov, E., Nadirov, R., and Lerche, I., 1996. Flaming eruptions
and ejections from mud volcanoes in Azerbaijan: statistical risk
assessment from the historical records. Energy Exploration
Exploitation, 14, 535–583.
Barber, A. J., and Brown, K. M., 1988. Mud diapirism: the origin of
mélanges in accretionary complexes? Geology Today, 4, 89–94.
Barber, A. J., Tjokrosapoetro, S., and Charlton, T. R., 1986. Mud
volcanoes, shale diapirs, wrench faults and mélanges in accretionary complexes, eastern Indonesia. AAPG Bulletin, 70,
1729–1741.
Barker, C., and Horsfield, B., 1982. Mechanical versus thermal
cause of abnormally high pore pressures in shales. AAPG Bulletin, 66, 99–100.
Bebout, G., 1995. The impact of subduction-zone metamorphism
on mantle-ocean chemical cycling. Chemical Geology, 126,
191–218.
Bradak, B., and Kereszturi, A., 2003. Mud volcanism as model
for various planetary surface processes. 34th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, Houston TX (Copernicus), Abstract
1304.
Braunstein, G., and O’Brien, G. D., 1968. Indexed bibliography. In:
Braunstein, G., and O’Brien, G. D. (eds.), Diapirism and Diapirs. AAPG Mem., 8, pp. 385–414.
Brown, K. M., 1990. The nature and hydrogeologic significance of
mud diapirs and diatremes for accretionary systems. Journal of
Geophysical Research, 95, 8969–8982.
Burne, R. V., 1970. The origin and significance of sand volcanoes in
teh Bude formation (Cornwall). Sedimentology, 15, 211–228.
Cavagna, S., Clari, P., and Martire, L., 1998. Methane-derived carbonates as an evidence of fossil mud volcanoes: a case history
from the Cenozoic of Northern Italy. In Proceedings
V International Conference on Gas in Marine Sed, Bologna,
Italy, September 2003, pp. 106–110.
Chigira, M., and Tanaka, K., 1997. Structural features and the history of mud volcano in southern Hokkaido, northern Japan.
Journal of the Geological Society Japan, 103, 781–793.
Chiodini, G., D’Alessandro, W., and Parello, F., 1996. Geochemistry of gases and waters discharged by the mud volcanoes at
Paterno, Mt. Etna (Italy). Bulletin of Volcanology, 58, 51–58.
Choffat, P., 1882. Note préliminaire sur les vallés tiphoniques et sur
les eruptions d’Ophite et de teschenite en Portugal. Buletinl de la
Societe Ge ´ologique de France, 10, 3rd ser.
Clennell, M. B., 1992. The Mélanges of Sabah, Malaysia.
Unpublished PhD thesis, University of London, 483pp.
Colten-Bradley, V. A., 1987. Role of pressure in smectite dehydration – effects on geopressure and smectite-to-illite transformation. AAPG Bulletin, 71, 1414–1427.
Davies, R. J., Brumm, M., Manga, M., Rubiandini, R., Swarbrick,
R., and Tingay, M., 2008. The East Java mud volcano (2006 to
present): an earthquake or drilling trigger? Earth and Planetary
Science Letters, 272, 627–638.
De Beer, D., Sauter, E., Niemann, H., Kaul, N., Foucher, J. P., Witte,
U., Schlüter, M., and Boetius, A., 2006. In situ fluxes and zonation of microbial activity in surface sediments of the Håkon
Mosby Mud Volcano. Limnology and Oceanography, 51,
1315–1331.
Dimitrov, L. I., 2002. Mud volcanoes – the most important pathway
for degassing deeply buried sediments. Earth Science Reviews,
59, 49–76.
Dupré, S., Mascle, J., Foucher, J.-P., Harmegnies, F., Woodside, J.,
and Pierre, C., 2014. Warm brine lakes in craters of active mud
volcanoes, Menes caldera off NW Egypt: evidence for deeprooted thermogenic processes. Geo-Marine Letters,
doi:10.1007/s00367-014-0367-1.
Fertl, W. H., 1976. Abnormal formation pressures: implications to
exploration drilling and production of oil and gas. In Developments in Petroleum Science II. Oxford: Elsevier, p. 382.
Fitts, T. G., and Brown, K. M., 1999. Stress induced smectite dehydration ramifications for patterns of freshening fluid expulsion in
the N. Barbados accretionary wedge. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 172, 179–197.
Gorkun, V. N., and Siryk, I. M., 1968. Calculating depth of deposition and volume of gas expelled during eruptions of mud
534
MUD VOLCANO