GEOCHEMISTRY AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF MUD VOLCANOES

Mud volcanoes serve as carriers of information about processes occurring in the deep layers of the Earth. Due to their contribution to the precise study of the geological, geochemical, and geoecological conditions of an area, especially in determining the locations of oil and gas fields, they remain highly relevant. The solid waste ejected from mud volcanoes accumulates, and through the study of eruption products, valuable data reflecting their geochemical properties have been obtained. Research has been conducted on the Lokbatan mud volcano (40°18'15.92"N 49°42'31.87"E), located in the southwest of the Absheron Peninsula. The study aims to evaluate the eruption conditions and geochemical characteristics of the Lokbatan mud volcano while also creating a geological and geochemical database. The chemical and mineralogical composition of the rocks in the area, as well as annual calculations of eruption products released by mud volcanoes into the environment, have been carried out to assess the geoecological situation. The study of mud volcanoes significantly contributes to addressing both theoretical and practical problems in geology, geophysics, and geochemistry, including determining the structure of deep horizons and evaluating the oil and gas potential of great depths. Mud volcano eruptions consist of large volumes of volcanic breccias of different ages, various types of sedimentary rock fragments, and are represented at different hypsometric elevations. Unlike previous eruptions, the characteristics of mud volcanoes are small and weak, but they remain highly similar in terms of activity. No solid fragments have been detected in the composition of the expelled materials. In Azerbaijan, detailed descriptions of eruption processes date back to the 19th century. Regarding eruptions unknown to researchers, assumptions can be made based on the degree of weathering and direct fragmentation of volcanic breccias, their color, and the vegetation cover distinguishing different eruption types. Based on these and other data, it is possible to discuss the impact of mud volcano eruptions on the surrounding environment. Keywords: mud, geochemistry, gryphon, salsa, element, environment, eruption.