Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Mud volcanoes—a significant source of atmospheric methane

  • Original
  • Published:
Geo-Marine Letters Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Mud volcanoes are recognized as a significant geological source of atmospheric carbon, particularly as methane gas. This paper considers the total number of mud volcanoes, types and frequency of their activity, quantities of emissions during quiescence and eruption, and composition of venting gases. Mud volcanoes approximate 1,950 prominent individuals worldwide and about 60 to 65 erupt every year. They sporadically or continuously emit to the atmosphere considerable volumes of gas, mainly methane, in average volumes of 3.3 to 3.6×106 m3 per year during quiescent periods, and about 12×106 m3 to more than 350×106 m3 per single eruption. The total annual amount of methane emitted to the atmosphere through mud volcanoes is estimated to be about 5 Tg, containing almost equal quantities of fossil and modern carbon.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1.
Fig. 2.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ali-Zade A, Shnyokov E, Grigorianz B, Aliev A, Rahmanov R (1984) Geotectonic conditions of mud volcano manifestation on the Earth and their significance for oil and gas prospects (in Russian). In: Proc 27th World Geological Congr C13:166–172

  • Allen RC, Gavish E, Friedman GM, Sanders JE (1969) Aragonite-cemented sandstone from outer continental shelf off Delaware Bay: submarine lithification mechanism yields product resembling beachrock. J Sediment Petrol 39(1):136–149

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bagirov E, Nadirov R, Lerchhe I (1996) Flaming eruptions and ejections from mud volcanoes in Azerbaijan: statistical risk assessment from historical records. Energy Explor Exploit 14:535–583

    Google Scholar 

  • Barber AJ, Tjokrosapoetro S, Charlton TR (1986) Mud volcanoes, shale diapirs, wrench faults and mélanges in accretionary complexes, eastern Indonesia. AAPG Bull 70:1729–1741

    Google Scholar 

  • Boua, K, Boushe I, Maskal A, Montade L, Ravenn K, Wanesson J (1984) Global geological history and oil and gas potential of deepwater continental margins (in Russian). In: Proc 27th World Geological Congr C13:45–64

  • Brown KM (1990) The nature and hydrogeologic significance of mud diapirism and diatremes from accretionary systems. J Geophys Res 95:8969–8982

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown KM, Westbrook GK (1988) Mud diapirism and subcretion in the Barbados Ridge Complex. Tectonics 7:613–640

    Google Scholar 

  • Chappellaz J, Bluner T, Raynaud D, Barnola M, Schwander J, Stauffer B (1993) Synchronous changes in atmospheric CH4 and Greenland climate between 40 and 8 kyr bp. Nature 366:443–445

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Crutzen PJ (1991) Methane’s sinks and sources. Nature 350:380–381

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dadashev F, Matanov F, Guliyev I (2002) Assessment of fluids scales determination at the bottom of the Caspian Sea. In: Abstr Vol 7th Int Conf Gas in Marine Sediments, 7–12 October 2002, Baku, Azerbaijan. Nafta-press, Baku, pp 32–33

  • Dimitrov LI (2002) Mud volcanoes—the most important pathway for degassing deeply buried sediments. Earth-Sci Rev 59:49–76

    Google Scholar 

  • Egorov A, Ivanov M (1996) Hydrocarbon gases connected with mud volcanoes and vents on the Mediterranean Ridge. In: Abstr Vol 4th Post-Cruise Meet TTR Programme Sedimentary Basins of the Mediterranean and Black Seas, 29 January–3 February 1996, Moscow-Zvenigorod, Russia, pp 32–33

  • Foucher JP, Henry P (1996) Fluid venting from mud diapiric structures, the example of the mud diapiric field seaward of the deformation front of the Barbados accretionary complex at 14°N. In: Proc 4th Post-Cruise Meet TTR Programme Sedimentary Basins of the Mediterranean and Black Seas, 29 January–3 February 1996, Moscow-Zvenigorod, Russia, pp 21–22

  • Ginsburg GD, Soloviev VA (1994) Submarine gas hydrates. VNIIOkeangeologia, St. Petersburg

  • Ginsburg GD, Milkov AV, Soloviev VA, Egorov AV, Cherkashev GA, Vogt PR, Crane K, Lorenson TD, Khutorskoy MD (1999) Gas hydrate accumulation at the Håkon Mosby Mud Volcano. Geo-Mar Lett 19:57–67

  • Gubkin I, Feodorov S (1940) Mud volcanoes of the USSR in connection with oil and gas prospects (in Russian). In: Proc 27th Int Geology Congr, Moscow, part 4:33–67

  • Guliyev IS, Feizullayev AA (1997) All about mud volcanoes. Nafta-press, Baku

  • Hedberg HD (1980) Methane generation and petroleum migration. In: Roberts WH III, Cordell PJ (eds) Problems of petroleum migration. AAPG Stud Geol 10:179–206

    Google Scholar 

  • Higgins GE, Saunders JB (1973) Mud volcanoes—their nature and origin: contribution to the geology and paleobiology of the Caribbean and adjacent areas. Verh Naturforsch Gesell Basel 84:101–152

    Google Scholar 

  • Hovland M, Hill A, Stokes D (1997) The structure and geomorphology of the Dashgil mud volcano, Azerbaijan. Geomorphology 12:24–37

    Google Scholar 

  • Huseynov D (2002) South Caspian Basin: geochemistry and fluid flows of submarine folded zones. In: Abstr Vol 7th Int Conf Gas in Marine Sediments, 7–12 October 2002, Baku, Azerbaijan. Nafta-press, Baku, pp 74–76

  • Ivanov MK, Limonov AF, van Weering TjCE (1996) Comparative characteristics of the Black Sea and Mediterranean Ridge mud volcanoes. Mar Geol 132:253–271

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jakubov AA, Ali-Zade AA, Zeinalov MM (1971) Mud volcanoes of the Azerbaijan SSR. Atlas. Elm-Azerbaijan Academy of Sciences, Baku

  • Judd A, Davies G, Wilson J, Holmes R, Baron G, Bryden I (1997) Contribution to atmospheric methane by natural seepages on the UK continental shelf. Mar Geol 137(1/2):165–189

    Google Scholar 

  • Kalinko M (1964) Mud volcanoes, reasons of their origin, development and fading (in Russian). VNIGRI 40:30–54

    Google Scholar 

  • Kenyon NH, Ivanov MK, Akhmetzhanov AM, Akhmanov GG (eds) (2000) Multidisciplinary study of geological processes on the North East Atlantic and Western Mediterranean Margins. Preliminary Results Geol Geophys Inv TTR-9 Cruise R/V Professor Logachev, June–July 1999. IOC Tech Ser no 56

  • MacDonald IR, Guinasso NL Jr, Sassen R, Brooks JM, Lee L, Scott KT (1994) Gas hydrate that breaches the sea floor on the continental slope of the Gulf of Mexico. Geology 22:699–702

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Martinelli G (1998) Mud volcanoes of Italy. In: Proc 5th Int Conf Gas in Marine Sediments, 9–12 September, Bologna, Italy, pp 40–42

  • Milkov AV (2000) Worldwide distribution of submarine mud volcanoes and associated gas hydrates. Mar Geol 167:29–42

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Milkov A, Sassen R, Apanasovich T, Dadashev F (2002) Estimate of global gas flux from mud volcanoes. In: Abstr Vol 7th Int Conf Gas in Marine Sediments, 7–12 October 2002, Baku, Azerbaijan. Nafta-press, Baku, pp 134–137

  • Motyka RJ, Hawkins DB, Poreda RJ, Jeffries A (1986) Geochemistry, isotopic composition and the origin of fluids emanating from mud volcanoes in the Cooper River Basin, Alaska. Alaska Div Geol Geophys Surv Public-data File 86-34

  • Müler C, Theilen F, Milkereit B (2001) Large gas-prospective areas indicated by bright spots. World Oil, January, pp 60–67

  • Neurauter TW, Roberts HH (1994) Three generations of mud volcanoes on the Louisiana continental slope. Geo-Mar Lett 14:120–125

    Google Scholar 

  • Obzhirov A (2002) Sources of methane in the Okhotsk and Japan Seas. In: Abstr Vol 7th Int Conf Gas in Marine Sediments, 7–12 October 2002, Baku, Azerbaijan. Nafta-press, Baku, pp 151–153

  • Orudjieva DS, Vorobiev VT, Romashov AA (1982) Space-born investigations of oil prospective areas of Northeastern Caspian Basin (in Russian). Nauka, Moscow

  • Ozernii O (1981) Regularities of distribution of the overpressured layers in Southern Ukraine (in Russian). Geol Oil Gas 6:50–56

    Google Scholar 

  • Perez-Belzuz F, Alonso B, Ercilla G (1997) History of mud diapirism and triggering mechanisms in the Western Alboran Sea. Tectonophysics 282:399–423

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Petit J, Jouzel J, Raynaud D, Barkov N, Barnola J-M, Basile I, Bender M, Chapellaz J, Davis M, Delaygue G, Delmotte M, Kotlaykov V, Legard M, Lipenkov V, Lorius C, Pepin L, Ritz C, Saltzman E, Stievenard M (1999) Climate and atmospheric history of the past 420,000 years from the Vostok ice core, Antarctica. Nature 399:429–436

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reed DL, Silver EA, Tagudin JE, Shipley TH, Vrolijk P (1990) Relations between mud volcanoes, thrust deformation, slope sedimentation, and gas hydrate, offshore north Panama. Mar Petrol Geol 7:44–54

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ridd MF (1970) Mud volcanoes in New Zealand. AAPG Bull 54(4):601–616

    Google Scholar 

  • Rimington JD (2000) Depositional history of sands on the Amazon fan. In: Abstr Vol 6th Int Conf Gas in Marine Sediments, 12–17 September, St. Petersburg, Russia

  • Robertson P, Burke K (1989) Evolution of Southern Caribbean plate boundary, vicinity of Trinidad and Tobago. AAPG Bull 73(4):490–509

    Google Scholar 

  • Sassen R, Joye S, Sweet ST, DeFreitas DA, Milkov AV, MacDonald IR (1999) Thermogenic gas hydrates and hydrocarbon gases in complex chemosynthetic communities, Gulf of Mexico continental slope. Org Geochem 30:485–497

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schlüter HU, Prexl A, Gaedicke Ch, Roeser H, Reichert Ch, Meyer H, von Daniels C (2002) The Makran accretionary wedge: sediment thicknesses and ages and the origin of mud volcanoes. Mar Geol 185:219–232

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shih TT (1967) A survey of the active mud volcanoes in Taiwan and a study of their types and the character of the mud. Petrol Geol Taiwan 5:259–311

    Google Scholar 

  • Sirik IM (1968) Oil and gas potential of the eastern slopes of the Western Sakhalin Mountain (in Russian). Nauka, Moscow

  • von Huene R, Klaeschen D, Gutscher M, Fruehn J (1998) Mass and fluid flux during accretion at the Alaskan margin. GSA Bull 110(4):468–482

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams P, Pigram C, Dow D (1984) Melange production and the importance of shale diapirism in accretionary terrains. Nature 309:145–146

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

Dr. Alan Judd, Dr. Martin Hovland and Dr. Ian MacDonald are acknowledged for their very fruitful comments and suggestions, and particularly Dr. Keith Kvenvolden for improving the manuscript as well. The author appreciates the opportunity provided by the NATO Science Programme to present the topics of this work at the 7th International Conference “Gas in Marine Sediments” in Baku, Azerbaijan, in October 2002.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Oceanology, P.O. Box 152, 9000, Varna, Bulgaria

    Lyobomir I. Dimitrov

Authors
  1. Lyobomir I. Dimitrov
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lyobomir I. Dimitrov.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Dimitrov, L.I. Mud volcanoes—a significant source of atmospheric methane. Geo-Mar Lett 23, 155–161 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00367-003-0140-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00367-003-0140-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation