Mystery island in Caspian Sea emerges then vanishes quickly
A mysterious island emerged and then vanished from the surface of the Caspian Sea within less than two years. Experts identified this phenomenon thanks to images provided by NASA.
According to Science Alert, the island appeared in January 2023 at the summit of the Kumani mud volcano, located about 12 miles off the coast of Azerbaijan. NASA's satellite pictures, captured as part of the Landsat program—which regularly provides images of Earth from space with the assistance of nine satellites—documented the island's brief existence from its formation to its near-total disappearance by the end of 2024.
An island that regularly disappears
This transient island's history dates back to the 19th century. Its first documented emergence was in May 1861, but it vanished by the following year. In the 20th century, the island appeared at least six times, never lasting more than two years. Its formation is linked to eruptions of the Kumani mud volcano, which are often accompanied by spectacular fire bursts similar to oil rig explosions. However, in 2023, the island emerged calmly.
Geophysicist Mark Tingay, known for his passion for mud volcanoes, discovered the phenomenon while examining satellite images. In a post on the Threads platform in November 2024, he remarked on the unexpected formation of a new island the previous year and noted the surprising lack of attention it received.
Science Alert notes that despite advanced technology and rapid information flow, there were no official reports about the island in 2023. A similar event occurred in 1993, also without much publicity. It wasn't until January 10, 2025, when NASA featured the image of the "ghost island" as the image of the day, that the phenomenon drew attention again.
The island near the Kumani Bank mud volcano is not an isolated case. At the end of 2023, a new, small island also appeared off the coast of Japan. Japanese experts reported at the time that it is part of the Ogasawara Islands and that its formation was due to an underwater volcano eruption. It is worth noting, however, that most islands formed by underwater volcanic activity disappear quickly, though there are exceptions.
