Description of the attraction
One of the many attractions of the Taman Peninsula is the Karabetova Sopka mud volcano. Other local names for the volcano are Karabetka, Karabetova Gora, but if you ask the locals how to find a mud volcano, they will tell you no matter what you call it.
Karabetova Sopka is located about four kilometers east of the village of Taman. Its absolute height (height above sea level) is 152 meters with a cone diameter of more than 800 meters, but you will not immediately notice it among the other hills of this hilly area. The mud volcano itself is not always active and most of the time is a gray-white mud cone, but after wandering around you can find the so-called "salsas", side mud springs, constantly blowing mud bubbles bursting with mesmerizing muttering. The volcano itself, as gases and surface mud accumulate, erupts noisily at intervals of 15-20 years, warning local residents with a strong underground rumble. Among the scattered debris, tourists find samples of rocks with clear imprints of ancient plants.
Around Karabetovaya Sopka there are many small lakes with clear water and muddy (mud) bottom, which are popular among locals and vacationers as sources of healing mud.
In the description of the eruption of Karabetovaya Sopka in 1876, a flash of flame with thick clouds of smoke is mentioned, which reached a considerable height and remained in the air for several minutes. Huge masses of earth were lifted into the air. The first explosion was followed by the second and third, the eruption lasted about three hours. Major recent eruptions were in 1968 and 2001. They were accompanied by a strong underground hum and explosion, an increase in the outpouring of mud and gas emission, the emergence and growth of new lateral cones - everything is like in the eruption of real volcanoes, only instead of molten lava, mud flows out of the crater. As the mud hardens, it forms new and new layers, thus the cone grows. In the northeastern part of the hill, the most active at present, there are up to two dozen cones and protuberances, some of which reach 2.5 meters in height. One of the largest mud lakes, about ten meters in diameter, is also located here. Gas constantly evolves in it, the mud is mixed, is in a liquid state and slowly flows into the nearest ravine. On the slopes of the Karabetovaya Sopka, traces of intense erosion are visible everywhere - the destruction and transfer of loose sedimentary rocks, as a result of which numerous ravines and cones of sedimentary material are formed, mainly consisting of easily washed out mound brechcia.
The mud volcano Karabetova Sopka, in view of the visibility of natural processes, has a scientific and educational value and in 1978 it was classified as a natural monument of regional importance.
