Mud volcanoes at Pâclele Mari

The Pâclele Mari Mud Volcanoes are in Scorțoasa commune, Buzău County, in a hilly landscape with sparse vegetation. Natural gas from deep underground pushes water and clay to the surface, forming craters, cones and mudflows. As the mud dries, it cracks and leaves flow marks on the ground.

Gas bubbles and fresh deposits around the active vents are visible on the plateau. Rainwater carves channels in the dry material, and the salts in the soil limit the plants that can grow here. Pâclele Mari is part of the Ținutul Buzăului UNESCO Geopark and are linked by a thematic route to the Pâclele Mici site.

Photo: Whitepixels · Photo source · CC0. Cropped and resized to 650 × 400 px, without distortion.