When a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Pakistan’s Baluchistan province on Tuesday, locals watched in amazement as a small island rose out of the sea 600 metres off the coast.

Scientists have been studying data from the quake and fielding questions about what caused the island to appear.

They have since said that the island is actually a mud volcano, caused by pressure in sediment below the seabed.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-09-26/pakistan-earthquake-creates-new-island3a-why-and-how3f/4983214

With methane leaks (colourless, odourless gas). Interesting that the locals lit it up. I’d want to not be there when the big methane burp comes…

Has dv been overcome with market forces and outsourced geophysics to the ABC?

Will it last, or will it slowly sink back under?

It’s pretty big … will take some time to wash away.

Is mud a precisely defined geological term?

> is actually a mud volcano, caused by pressure in sediment below.

So is the Sidoarjo mud flow. ;-(

> Is mud a precisely defined geological term?

Yes. Mud is a mixture of water and some combination of soil, silt, and clay. ie. contains no particles bigger than 4 mm across.

Bubblecar said:

Is mud a precisely defined geological term?

Yes

“People walk on an island that appeared two kilometers off the coast”

The very next sentence:

“…locals watched in amazement as a small island rose out of the sea 600 metres off the coast.”

Didn’t we have a thread somewhere about the degeneration of ABC science reporting?

Kingy said:

“People walk on an island that appeared two kilometers off the coast”

The very next sentence:

“…locals watched in amazement as a small island rose out of the sea 600 metres off the coast.”

Didn’t we have a thread somewhere about the degeneration of ABC science reporting?

There are actually photographs. ;)

Kingy said:

Didn’t we have a thread somewhere about the degeneration of ABC science reporting?

And then we get – in the break-out box – “Some 373 people are reported wounded”

Wounded? Injuries sustained from the effects of an earthquake?

AussieDJ said:

Kingy said:

Didn’t we have a thread somewhere about the degeneration of ABC science reporting?

And then we get – in the break-out box – “Some 373 people are reported wounded”

Wounded? Injuries sustained from the effects of an earthquake?

Let’s see how long it takes them to fix it – the editor has been emailed.

Looks around

Mud, Mud, Glorious Mud..

Nothing quite like it for cooling the blood!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjnOj9O16_I