Steaming Ringed Mud Convection

 

Mud pools and mud pots form in areas where acidic water, often resulting from the condensation of volcanic gases, interacts with surrounding rock and soil. This acidic mixture breaks down minerals and rock into fine-grained clay, creating a characteristically viscous mud. Mud pools generally cover a larger surface area, often forming in shallow depressions with enough water to maintain a thin, soupy consistency. Mud pots, conversely, feature thicker mud with limited water. Gas bubbles rising through this thick slurry generate distinctive bubbling and splattering, contributing to their unique visual appeal.

This mud pool is marked by numerous concentric ring patterns. These rings indicate localised upwellings of gases or fluids, disrupting the mud’s texture and forming a ring pattern each time. This mud pool exhibits a lower degree of geothermal activity compared to others and is characterised by a higher water content and less viscous slurry.