Geologist: Cordon off active Piparo mud volcano

Increased activity at the Piparo mud volcano has prompted geologist Xavier Moonan to recommend that the site should be cordoned off and monitored.

Moonan visited the site on Thursday morning to do an assessment. He told Newsday the volcano's cone has grown larger, and said there is a noticeable increase in natural gas being emitted, with mud being ejected up to 20 feet high roughly every 70 seconds.

In addition, new cracks have formed. "That's quite normal, to get cracks and fractures forming, but I guess what I found interesting was that there are a different set of fractures that occurred this time, as opposed to what we would have seen in 2019. Most of the fractures and stuff were pretty much southwest and northeast and this time they're a bit more north-south and they seem to be along the area subsiding." He said there are three vents on the northwestern part of the site and one more on the northeastern side, all bubbling profusely.

Moonan believes the activity is the result of recent earthquakes in the region that have been felt in Trinidad. "The good thing is that a lot of pressure that seems to have built up is being released, and so far being released through these events.

"I think we did have an earthquake about a day ago, and we had a couple of earthquakes a couple of weeks back. All of these tend to cause more and more pressure to build up locally along the faults, and it may just have been enough to allow the faults to release the pressure, and that is why we're seeing this gas coming up now." But with increased natural gas being expelled from the volcano, Moonan advised access to the area should be restricted.

For now, he said the volcano would be monitored and more assessments done if the activity does not subside or if it further increases. Chairman of the Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo Regional Corporation Ryan Rampersad said residents report the activity is typical, but the corporation is treating it seriously.

"The disaster management unit, they are on standby to inform the residents of what are the measures to take as well as cordon(ing it) off.

"We are also working along with the Princes Town Regional Corporation, because the mud volcano itself is located within the region of Princes Town, but the community straddles both corporations," Rampersad said. He said the corporation will also continue monitoring the volcano.