Mud Volcanoes

Abstract

The eruption of mud and magma can be influenced by earthquakes and reports date back more than 2000 years. Dozens of examples of eruptions have now been documented in response to both static and dynamic stresses from earthquakes. Already erupting systems are most sensitive to earthquakes compared to initiating new eruptions. Multiple plausible mechanisms have been proposed for triggering eruptions including disrupting particle-rich materials, mobilizing bubbles, or changing permeability—changes may occur both within and outside the reservoir hosting the materials that ultimately erupt. Using historical examples of triggered mud eruptions, we explain why it is unlikely that the Sidoarjo mud flow (sometimes nicknamed “Lusi”) was initiated by an earthquake. As multiparameter monitoring of volcanoes expands, it may eventually be possible to identify triggering mechanisms and how seismic waves influence magma and mud mobility in field settings.