Sand geyser

A Clastic dike, the result of a sand geyser event.
Sand geysers identified by NASA on the Martian surface.

A sand geyser, sand fountain or sand blow is a geologic phenomenon which occurs in association with earthquakes and other seismic events.[1] In the geologic record, these are seen as clastic dikes.[2] It is described as "a geyser of sand and water that shoots from the ground during a major earthquake."[2][3] A quake can cause underlying sand to liquefy while pressure forces the eruption of the sand mixture to the surface.[4][5] The mixture of sand and water can also contain dissolved gases such as methane and carbon dioxide.[5]

Some investigators have located soil formations that indicate the existence of past sand geysers in earthquake prone areas.[1]

NASA has proposed that the existence of sand geysers on the surface of Mars explains some of the seasonal variations of light and dark areas. Plume-like markings that begin to appear during the martian spring may be caused by solid CO2 transforming explosively into its gaseous state causing an eruption of soil materials.[6]

A 2008 video recorded one eruption in Saudi Arabia.[7] Another lay commentator attributed a similar event to differences in air temperature between underground pockets of air and the air above the ground.[8] The phenomenon was observed during an earthquake in New Zealand in 1987.[9]

  1. ^ a b "The Great Midwest Earthquake of 1811". Smithsonian. Retrieved 2018-04-15.
  2. ^ a b Munday, Dave. "Old sand geyser shows quakes part of life here". Post and Courier. Retrieved 2018-04-15.
  3. ^ Freeland, Robert (2007). "GroundScan Projects". The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture. Retrieved 2018-04-15.
  4. ^ "Peril of 'Quicksand' Phenomenon in Quake Cited". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. 1986-03-27. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 2018-04-15.
  5. ^ a b Capaccioni, Bruno; Coltorti, Massimo; Todesco, Micol; Cremonini, Stefano; Giuseppe, Dario Di; Faccini, Barbara; Tessari, Umberto (2017). "Sand volcano generated by a violent degassing from methane-saturated aquifers: The case study of Medolla (Modena, Italy)". Engineering Geology. 221: 91–103. Bibcode:2017EngGe.221...91C. doi:10.1016/j.enggeo.2017.02.027.
  6. ^ "Sand geysers could explain mystery spots on Mars". New Scientist. Retrieved 2018-04-15.
  7. ^ "Sand Geyser - Wierd [sic] Natural Phenomenon ?". www.theworldgeography.com. Retrieved 2018-04-15.
  8. ^ "Video: Giant 'Sand Geyser' Erupts in Saudi Arabia - Coast to Coast AM". Coast to Coast AM. Retrieved 2018-04-15.
  9. ^ GRAPES, Rodney H. (1987). "Faulting and subsidence during the Edgecumbe earthquake, March 2, 1987, New Zealand". Journal of Physics of the Earth. 35 (6): 415–423. doi:10.4294/jpe1952.35.415. ISSN 0022-3743.