A threatening mud volcano in the Salton Buttes lava domes.

Near Niland, California, a mud volcano grew rapidly, and moved 18 meters in a single day; it threatens a railroad and a highway, with their infrastructures.

It has existed since 1953, in an area southeast of Salton Sea, which comprises about 7 km² a series of five lava domes: Mullet island, North Red hill, South Red hill, Rock hill and Obsidian Butte.

The Saltons Buttes are being monitored by the CalVO / California Volcano Observatory, branch of the USGS, for possible future volcanic activity. Geophysical evidence shows that partially liquid magma is still present beneath Salton Buttes.

Eruptions occurred about 400,000 years ago, followed by a long period of inactivity.

The area returned to activity 18,000 years ago, and the most recent eruption, 1,800 years ago, began explosively, before progressing into a dense and glassy effusion, producing lava domes, high of 30-40 meters.

The Salton Buttes are in a tectonic depression formed by the San Andreas Fault and the San Jacinto faults. The depression forms an extension to the north of the Gulf of California and is separated by the Colorado Delta. A number of geothermal and volcanic structures are found in the region, which is an active spreading region of the seabed.

The Salton Buttes are in a tectonic depression formed by the San Andreas Fault and the San Jacinto faults. The depression forms an extension to the north of the Gulf of California and is separated by the Colorado Delta. A number of geothermal and volcanic structures are found in the region, which is an active spreading region of the seabed.

The Salton sea geothermal field currently produces enough energy for 325,000 homes, and is home to moderate earthquakes, linked to the geothermal system and movements along regional faults. This activity has been under surveillance since the 1930s, and a dense network of seismometers was installed by the USGS and Caltech in the 1970s. The high heat flux (360 ° C at 1.5-2.5 km from depth) and the relatively young age of the Saltons Buttes may suggest future volcanic activity.

... closely followed by the CalVO

Sources:

- The Watchers - Salton Buttes lava domes: Mud volcano threatens railroad track and state highway, California - 02.11.2018

- AGU - G3 - Episodic Holocene eruption of the Salton Rhyolite Buttes, California, from paleomagnetic, U-Th, and Ar / Ar dating - by H.M.Wright & al.

- CalVO - USGS

- Global volcanism Program - Salton Buttes