Strange landscape of mud volcanoes

Mud volcanoes have nothing to do with proper volcanoes. They are developed by gas deposits that manage to seep to the surface from an oilfield, transporting salted water mixed with oil and some mud. They are not hot at all, but on the contrary.



This rare phenomenon can be observed in a geological preserve located near the Berca village, Buzau county, Romania. There are three separate places, Paclele Mari, Paclele Mici and a third one, north from Beciu village. Here you can find small, only a few meters high, mud volcanoes. Vegetation is scarce, only the plant Nitraria Schöberi can grow in this saline, sandy soil. Several of the volcanoes are active, the gas pressure pushing thick mud to the surface, rising mud bubbles and creating small mud flows.

These mud volcanoes are a beautiful sight to see, and well worth a visit.