Puzzling phenomenon: A mud geyser wanders through California

a Little time? At the end of text there is a summary.

It's already surprising enough that Niland has a single attraction. The southern California village, consisting of a pair of single-storey houses and many, many caravans, is located on State Route 111, near the Mexican border, in the middle of the sandy Nothing.

That people from outside are still coming here, has to do with a man who lived for years without water and electricity in a Chevrolet Truck. His name was Leonard Knight and created in the desert not far from the village about a quarter of a century a very special work of art out of clay, straw, and lots of color. The "Salvation Mountain" is a landscape that has become, colourful prayer, a testimony of the Knights Faith in the redemption through Jesus Christ.

Salvation Mountain in Niland

The idiosyncratic artist is for a good four years dead, a group of volunteers cares for his life's work, which is today, so it seems, especially Instagramern as a backdrop for your images. And not only that, Heidi Klum had the Models pose, musicians like Coldplay, Kesha shot video clips.

A few kilometres to the West of the "Salvation mountain" located for some time Nilands second point of interest - it is a hole in the ground. A so-called mud geyser walk near the town through the countryside. Where solid ground was once just mud, feet deep. The substrate no longer contributes to sink into infrastructure threatens.

In the case of a mud volcano rises from the previous earthquake caused cracks in the earth's crust carbon dioxide from deep, high-pressure-heated rock formations - and with tears in a mixture of overlying sediments and water. Also, hydrogen sulfide from the deeper layers comes to the surface and ensures that it stinks in the area vigorously.

Such a mud geyser is usually not a geological Oddity, and more. However, in the case of Niland, the matter is somewhat different. Because the copy of changes here, unlike most of the other world-well-known - place. Why this is so, no one knows. Within six months, the mud hole had moved, first to 18 meters, then within a day to as much again. For some time it goes forward now and again significantly slower.

And in the future? Nobody can tell you that serious before.

The railway company, Union Pacific, short UP, had to relocate millions of effort to a railway line. The pipeline operator kinder Morgan has announced that it is to search for an underground line with petrol products a new Route. The state of California is considering to block the nearby State Route and is also the operator of the ground verbuddelten glass-fibre cables will need to come up with something.

The mud geyser, Niland now has caused headlines around the world. But again and again, people come over to him to see, the Mister plate doesn't really fit. The man assures on behalf of the railway company to a construction site. Between a plurality of parallel strands, the newly built track, on the one hand, and the old tracks on the other, Seemed to be a plastic fence secured hole in the ground. Around construction equipment. And everywhere the smell of rotten eggs.

But who wants to get closer approach, the'll have to deal with Mister plate. Where the please of the helmet? And where are the safety glasses? So the not going really. Once again, please go!

That Alfredo Estrada, and this is no less than the chief of fire and disaster protection in the whole Imperial County in front of him, the plate is pretty no matter. And also Estrada out of a middle guard, with the required helmets holt and glasses, wants to lead the security man is still a discussion about in addition, necessary protective vests, and more. But the fireman marched through it, this time with a few friendly words.

So afterwards. Who knows how long this will work.

A few steps Holiganbet later, you can then look in the four -, five-Meter-deep hole down, next to a train track. From the other edge a couple of hoses hanging in the depths. A bit it looks as if a meteorite down, and to have been beaten by a leak in a water pipe. A grey-brownish liquid at the bottom is bubbling all the time vigorously.

freight trains could derail

Also in other Parts of the world, there are such phenomena. International awareness of the mud volcano Sidoarjo is, for example, on the Indonesian island of Java. He is since 2006 actively, possibly a failed oil drilling was to blame for his or but an earthquake.

The mud geyser of Niland is, in turn, is a natural phenomenon, and since the fifties of the last century known, says Fire Chief Estrada. At that time, the mud pit was but 300 meters to the East of here. But then you've started at some point to find a new place. For a long time this had happened very slowly, but recently the geyser have added powerful travel: "six or seven months, he started to move faster than normal."

And what dangers threaten now? People do not live in the immediate area. "There is the risk that a train of UP derailed, what we want, of course, but," says Estrada. You need to know: It is not a small narrow-gauge Railways in the regional transport. On the route through the desert thunder every 20 minutes of heavy-Laden freight trains, often with more than 100 cars. You should jump off the rails, would take the clean-up work, probably for months. And the route would be blocked.

Also, a road closure would be impractical, because there are no Alternatives. Drivers of cars and delivery trucks would have to take detours, sometimes of more than 100 kilometers.

note tag for the Pipeline, near the mud geyser

But nothing can be against Hiking the geyser company? So far, says Estrada, had failed, all the measures. The pumping out of excess Gas, the construction of a in the depth of sheet piling, all to no avail. The geyser bubbled and wandered further and further, even under the steel through the lock. "This is a matter that has caused mother nature. And only mother nature will stop this," says the fireman.

Geologically highly active area

Together with a colleague, Ken Hudnut has taken from the Geological service of the USA for a research paper ten years ago, about 30 out of the mud geysers of the Region closer under the magnifying glass. One thing, however, is remarkable for the copy of Niland: "so Far, the mud volcanoes are always remained in place," explains Hudnut via Skype. "This is something we have not yet seen."

"There are not too many scientific studies," the researcher who has his office in Pasadena, three hours away by car. Once, in the summer, he went to Niland, the case for a closer look. Exciting the thing was very exciting. For further studies, there was no money, but for the time being, because, says Hudnut, regretfully.

the area for Geoforscher most interesting - and for several reasons: The geyser bubbling in the area of the partially even below the sea level nearby the so-called Salton-trough. And which in turn lies between two geological zones of struggle: On the South the Gulf of California the crust of the earth rips apart in such a way that the Peninsula of Baja California separated from the mainland and a new ocean basin.

And to the North, the San Andreas fault, where the North American and the Pacific continental plate move against each other- to about six inches in a year. This fault zone is the California may, at any time talk to bring a devastating earthquake, of which all here only as "The Big One".

A reference to an upcoming earthquake, the mud geyser, however, is not, says Hudnut. But an eye on him, because of the risks to the infrastructure. must keep "The dangers are great."

Speaking of the dangers: Mister plate's really getting restless. The next train would come soon. If we could then leave now please, the area around the tracks?

Yes, of course.

And if you want to see it positive: a little something from the afternoon is then left. The time is perfect for a visit to the Salvation Mountain.

Summary: In southern California, a wall of mud taken aback geyser the Geoforscher. No one knows why it moves. The natural phenomenon has already made the laying of a railway track is necessary, even for a Pipeline, a new Route must be sought. It also threatens to block a major street. Although the mud geyser is located in the immediate vicinity of the San Andreas fault, is its a hike, no indication of an immediately impending earthquake there.