Dormant Volcano Awakens: Eruption Fears Rise After 700,000 Years of Silence!

Table of Contents

1. Volcano Reawakening
2. Mount Taftan Overview
3. Gas Build-Up and Observations
4. Research Findings
5. Future Research

A VOLCANO once thought to be extinct has suddenly come back to life, raising concerns about its first eruption in 700,000 years.

Mount Taftan, a volcano located in Iran near the Pakistani border, has ominously risen by four inches over the past year, prompting locals to be on high alert.

Large plumes of smoke have been observed emanating from Taftan, visible from over 30 miles away.Credit: Getty Sulfur gas is escaping from vents on the surface of Taftan.Credit: Getty

This indicates a significant accumulation of gas or magma, creating enough pressure to propel thousands of tons of rock into the air.

Some gases have already begun to escape.

Researchers have observed an increase in material erupting from the vents atop Taftan.

The volume of gas escaping has been substantial enough that plumes have been detected from more than 30 miles away.

Images depict large clouds of ash and smoke hovering over the 13,000-foot peak.

Residents have reported noticing sulfurous odors since 2023, raising concerns that this may be just the start of their troubles.

In a publication in the journal Geophysical Research Letters , volcanologists stated there is “unambiguously” detectable rumbling beneath Taftan.

They warned that at some point, all that gas will need to escape.

Senior author Pablo González informed Live Science: “It has to release somehow in the future, either violently or more quietly.

“This study is not intended to incite panic among the people. It serves as a wake-up call to authorities in the region of Iran to allocate resources for monitoring this situation.”

Mount Taftan stands at an impressive 12,927 feet and is surrounded by a cluster of smaller mountains and vents formed by the Arabian oceanic crust.

According to the study, it has not erupted during the entirety of human history.

No GPS technology can provide a completely accurate assessment of the volcano's activity due to its remote location.

An aerial view of Taftan in Iran, located near the Pakistani border.Credit: Alamy The night sky as observed from the summit of Taftan.Credit: Alamy

It was through satellite imagery, analyzed by student Mohammadhossein Mohammadnia collaborating with González, that the growing peak was identified.

Mohammadhossein stated that researchers have dismissed several theories regarding the cause of the gradual rise, including earthquakes or unusual heavy rainfall.

It is believed that the uplift is due to either changes in the hydrothermal systems beneath the volcano or the movement of magma below the vent.

The research is ongoing, and the team plans to collaborate with scientists who specialize in gas monitoring at volcanoes in the future, González mentioned.