Earthquake forms methane spewing island off Gwadar in Pakistan
A powerful earthquake (7.7 ) that hit the Makran zone caused a methane and mud spewing island to form off the coast of Gwadar in Balochistan province of Pakistan.
How did earthquake (7.7 ) that hit the Makran zone happen?
The sea from Gwadar to Ormara had a huge stock of frozen methane gas below the sea bed. When there was a seismic movement the gas deposits, which expand creating high pressure, pushed up a land mass creating which appears in the form of island. The land mass is 50 metres long, 20 to 30 metres wide and rises 10 metres above the water about two km off the coast of Gwadar. The “island” is composed of soft sediment, mostly mud, sand and rock fragments. This phenomenon was also observed in 1999 and in 2010 near Ormara, off the Hingol river where it enters the sea.
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Month: Current Affairs - September, 2013
Category: Science & Technology Current Affairs