Satellites of the American National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) recorded an island in the waters of the Caspian Sea near the coast of Azerbaijan.
In November 2022, an underwater volcano Kumani erupted in this place, and in February 2023, a piece of land with a diameter of about 400 m rose above the water surface. This is stated in a message on the website of the Institute of Geography of the Russian Academy of Sciences. "The island existed for almost 2 years, disappearing at the end of 2024 and leaving behind an underwater shoal," the message says. According to the paleogeographer of the institute Vadim Ukraintsev, "the cause of the formation of this ephemeral island is mud volcanism."
"This phenomenon is known in many parts of the globe. For example, in Russia, mud volcanism is common for Sakhalin, Kamchatka, the Kuril Islands, the Taman Peninsula. However, the results of this process - the formation of cones as a result of eruption - are not often captured by lenses due to the fact that they are usually quite small and fleeting, rarely pose a danger, and most importantly, fade against the background of ordinary volcanism and other processes, "Ukraintsev's words are quoted in the message. As the expert noted, mud volcanism rarely provokes catastrophes. But the opposite happens - human activity is the cause of the activation of mud volcanic processes.
"For example, drilling a well near the Sidoarjo mud cone (East Java, Indonesia) caused a breakthrough of mud pulp from the underground reservoir of the volcano, which caused corresponding emissions in the vicinity of the volcano and the impossibility of using nearby lands for agricultural activities," the paleogeographer said. According to him, in the Taman Bay, the processes of formation of new islands due to mud volcanic activity occur quite quickly and just as quickly disappear due to wave activity. Meanwhile, lava emissions from even small volcanoes are much more dangerous and catastrophic, Ukraintsev stressed.
The bill received proposals from regions, the Presidential Administration, the Security Council, federal agencies, public organizations, and nearly 1,500 citizen appeals.
The forum, which brought together experts from a wide range of industries, hosted approximately 50 business events across three thematic areas: economics and investment, architecture and integrated territorial development, and tourism and hospitality.
This collaboration reflects a broader shift toward discovery-led destination development, bringing together Klook's data and digital infrastructure with OCTB's on-the-ground expertise to shape how travelers experience Osaka beyond its city center.
France has once again cemented its position as the world’s most visited destination, welcoming 102 million international tourists in 2025 – up from 100 million in 2024 – while posting a sharp 9% jump in tourism revenues.
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