Imagine waking up to find a brand new island in the ocean, only to watch it vanish into thin air just months later. This is the bizarre story of a temporary landmass that appeared above an underwater mud volcano off the coast of Azerbaijan in January 2023, capturing the attention of scientists and island enthusiasts alike. By the end of 2024, it had almost completely disappeared, leaving many questions in its wake.

This fleeting landmass emerged over Kumani Bank, a volcano hidden beneath the waves about 15 miles (24 kilometers) from Azerbaijan's eastern coast. It first popped into existence at the end of January 2023, measuring 1,300 feet (400 meters) across by February 4, according to the experts at NASA's Earth Observatory. Just think about that—the island was there one moment and gone the next, almost like a mirage.

But the excitement didn’t last long. As Earth Observatory representatives aptly put it, the island was unstable, and by December 2024, it had “nearly eroded away, retreating from view like an apparition.” Can you imagine witnessing something so spectacular, only for it to slip away, just like that? It’s as if nature is playing hide-and-seek with us!

The Kumani Bank mud volcano is no stranger to activity. Since its discovery in 1861, it has erupted eight times, each time giving rise to temporary landforms. The most powerful eruption recorded happened in 1950, creating a massive 2,300-foot-wide (700 m) island that towered 20 feet (6 m) above sea level. For anyone interested in geology, this place is a treasure trove of fascinating phenomena.

Located within Azerbaijan, which boasts over 300 mud volcanoes, the Kumani Bank is part of a unique geographical zone where the Arabian and Eurasian tectonic plates collide. This has resulted in increased geothermal activity, making the region a hotbed for mud volcanoes, or as some might call them, nature’s own geysers.

Unlike traditional volcanoes that erupt with explosive force, mud volcanoes emit a heated slurry of mud and water. They tend to be less destructive, but their pressurized natural gas can lead to fiery outbursts, creating a spectacle of flames. In fact, an underwater mud volcano near Kumani Bank triggered a towering inferno in 2021, creating a breathtaking sight above the Caspian Sea.

Interestingly, temporary islands aren't unique to mud volcanoes. They can also appear from traditional volcanic eruptions beneath the waves. For instance, in 2015, a new island emerged above the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano in the Pacific Ocean but was wiped out in January 2022 by one of the most powerful volcanic eruptions recorded. Researchers later discovered that this cataclysm erased previously unknown microbe species that had evolved on the new landmass.

Fast forward to October 2023, another eruption near Japan’s Iwo Jima island created a temporary island named Niijima, which grew to about 330 feet (100 m) wide and 66 feet (20 m) tall before it, too, was likely eroded. This cycle of creation and destruction is a testament to the Earth’s dynamic nature.