Eruption of the main Pugachevsky Mud Volcano on September 8, 2024 (Sakhalin Island)

Abstract

According to video surveillance data, the eruption of the Main Pugachev Mud Volcano (Sakhalin Island) occurred on September 8, 2024. The eruption of the mud volcano began suddenly, without any noticeable precursors. During explosions, the gushing mud-water-gas mixture rose to a height of 15–17 m above the surface of the field, while the diameter of the vent part was about 20 m. Intensive emissions and squeezing of the mud mass from one center led to the formation of a concentric mud field measuring 135×125 m and an area of more than 13,000 m². The thickness of the mud mass in the central part of the newly formed field reaches 2 m, on the periphery — up to 0.3–0.5 m. According to topographic data, the volume of the mud mass of the field can be estimated at 11.500 m³.