Ashgabat (TDI): Turkmenistan has initiated a comprehensive study and documentation project to secure UNESCO World Heritage status for its unique mud volcanoes along the Caspian Sea’s western coast.
The campaign aims to preserve and highlight these extraordinary geological features by assembling extensive scientific and cultural records for UNESCO’s consideration.
The recent expedition was led by the Turkmenistan National Commission for UNESCO, alongside biologists, geographers, and geologists from various national scientific bodies.
Over several days, the team surveyed active, dormant, and extinct mud volcanoes in the Esenguly district of the Balkan region, capturing photographs and collecting soil samples to document the distinct characteristics of these formations.
Experts noted a reduction in volcanic activity but emphasized that this does not signal a complete cessation of activity for many of the sites.
Among the standout formations are Akpatlavuk and Gokpatlavuk mud volcanoes.
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Akpatlavuk, located along the Caspian Sea’s eastern coastline, boasts a dome-like structure with extensive mud outcrops and stream-carved channels, forming a striking landscape with a mud lake at its base.
Meanwhile, Gokpatlavuk, standing 70 meters high near Ekerem, features steep slopes and active streams of carbonated mud flowing down its sides, a dynamic testament to natural geological processes.
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Turkmen researchers are also incorporating studies from Azerbaijani experts conducted in the 1970s, as the mud volcanoes across Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, and Iran constitute an interconnected geological complex that represents nearly half of the world’s known mud volcanoes.
As part of the UNESCO nomination process, updated imagery and revised data will be added to Turkmenistan’s national atlas of mud volcanoes, supporting their case for the preservation and recognition of these unique natural landmarks.
