UWI team: Piparo mud volcano 'very active,' high risk for eruption

Mud spews out of a vent at the Piparo Mud Volcano on December 24, beside the vent is one of UWI's seismic instruments, which was ripped from the ground. Residents are fearful after the volcano began to rumble on Christmas Eve. - Photos by Innis Francis

A University of the West Indies research team's assessment of the Piparo Mud Volcano has not only found that the geological feature is very active, but that the risk of further eruptions and surface deformation at the main vent and surrounding areas is high. The findings have left the team calling for urgent funding to enhance its ability to monitor the volcano.

The team was led by Professor of Geomechanics and Geophysics Prof Oshaine Blake and PhD Geoscience candidate Kerneese Ramjarrie, and also comprised Dr Lorraine Sobers, Dr Kailas Banerjee, Dr Dexter Davis, and Dr Ryan Ramsook.

They visited the site on December 24 after gases and large chunks of mud began spewing out of the volcano's vent, causing earth movement that damaged nearby houses, disrupted water and electricity supply to some residents and collapsed sections of some surrounding roads. They also revisited the site on December 27 to conduct further assessments and issued a report to residents on December 28.

Noting the 1997 eruption, which damaged homes and displaced residents, the report said Piparo was one of the most active of the 32 mud volcanoes in TT, and recent data collected showed it was still active, posing a high risk to the surrounding community.

Resident Fedell Solomon walks pass the affected area of his home after the Piparo Mud Volcano erupted on December 24.

After reviewing the data, the team concluded that the Christmas Eve event was mainly related to gas release and pressure buildup underground, likely triggered by anthropogenic events (environmental change due to human activity) or tectonic compression.

"In the period leading up to this event, there were no reported significant seismic activity, which is typically associated with fault movement, nor extended periods of rainfall that could hydrologically load the pressurised mud fluid zones."

The data collected last week showed the large, pressurised systems of mud and gas trapped under high pressure beneath the volcano were actively moving toward the northwest, away from the main crater. As it moves, the report said, it pushes the ground apart, causing uplift, sinking, and the formation of cracks at the surface. It said the damage can occur far from the main crater, even in areas where no mud is erupting at the surface.

"This explains why roads, houses, and utilities were damaged in western and southwestern areas during the December 24, 2025, event, despite the absence of visible vents. This strongly indicates that there is a large, active, pressurised subsurface system in this area which extends beyond the current monitored area. This means danger can exist even where the ground looks quiet."

The report said pressure was increasing sharply in the Northwestern areas, as the absence of ground movement prevents it from venting.

As a result, the report warned residents to stay alert, not approach the main crater or highly fractured areas, to report any new cracks, gas emissions or ground movement and to follow guidance from all local authorities and emergency services.

Based on these observations, the team recommended extending the area of interest to 400 acres to map out the full extent of the pressurised system. The team also called for urgent funding so it could enhance its ability to monitor, predict, and mitigate eruption risks, "paving the way for a robust early warning system."

"The data will then be fed into risk assessment and delineation of hazard zonation maps for at-risk communities," the report said.

Newsday was unable to reach Minister of Rural Development and Local Government Khadijah Ameen for comment.