Mudflow
August 16, 2013
Photographer: Thomas McGuire
Summary Author: Thomas McGuire
Mudflows, like lava flows, are considered depositional features and not erosional features. The above photos illustrate this point. They were snapped near the south end of the Salton Sea in southern California -- next to a series of mud volcanoes. These volcanoes, geothermal features associated with a shallow magma body and volcanic or seismic activity, stand only about 2 m high (6.5 ft) and often ooze hot mud. As it flows out of the miniature vents, this viscous material can be seen to build up the desert floor.
Photo Details: Top - Camera FUJI FinePix S9000; Focal Length: 6.8mm; Aperture: f/5.0; Exposure Time: 0.0021 s (1/480); ISO equiv: 80; Software: Adobe Photoshop Elements 9.0 Macintosh. Bottom same except - Focal Length: 14.0mm; Aperture: f/5.6; Exposure Time: 0.0029 s (1/340).