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Vanishing Ghost Island Rises from Ocean: A Fascinating Phenomenon

By aimee yang
Vanishing Ghost Island Rises from Ocean: A Fascinating Phenomenon

A mysterious island appeared in the Caspian Sea in early 2023 and is now disappearing again. Two NASA satellites captured the island vanishing between 2023 and 2024.

Satellite image of the Kumani bank appearing and disappearing between 2022 and 2024.

The island is on the tip of the Kumani bank mud volcano off Azerbaijan. It pops up randomly when the volcano erupts and can last about two years before sinking.

In 2023, the island surfaced quietly, surprising scientists. Geophysicist Mark Tingay noticed the island on satellite images. In 2025, NASA chose a picture of the island as its image of the day.

Surprisingly, this isn’t the first time the Kumani island has appeared unnoticed. In 1993, another island formed but wasn’t reported.

Tingay finds it amazing how an island can emerge so close to the coast without anyone noticing in today’s connected world.

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Vocabulary List:
6 words · tap to reveal
ON

Accent

Mysterious/mɪˈstɪr.i.əs/adjective
Difficult or impossible to understand explain or identify.

Appeared/əˈpɪr/verb
To come into sight; become visible or noticeable.

Disappearing/ˌdɪs.əˈpɪr.ɪŋ/verb
To cease to be visible; vanish.

Surprising/sərˈpraɪ.zɪŋ/adjective
Causing surprise; unexpected.

Emerge/ɪˈmɜrdʒ/verb
To come into view or become noticeable.

Noticed/ˈnoʊ.tɪst/verb
To become aware of something to observe.
Vocabulary Learning

How much do you know?

When did the mysterious island appear in the Caspian Sea?
Early 2022
Early 2023
Late 2023
Early 2024
How long can the island on the tip of the Kumani bank mud volcano last before sinking?
6 months
1 year
2 years
5 years
Who noticed the mysterious island on satellite images in 2023?
Mark Twain
Mark Tingay
Mark Zuckerberg
Mark Cuban
In which year did another island form near Kumani island but went unreported?
1983
1993
2003
2013
What did NASA do with a picture of the Kumani island in 2025?
Deleted it
Posted it on social media
Used it as image of the day
Stored it for research
What was the surprising aspect of the Kumani island surfacing in 2023?
Its size
Its location
Its appearance
The quiet emergence
The Kumani island reappeared in the Caspian Sea in 2024.
The Kumani island is located near the mud volcano off the coast of Australia.
The Kumani island was first discovered in 2000.
Geophysicist Mark Tingay was surprised by the surfacing of the island in 2025.
The Kumani island emerged unnoticed for the first time in 1993.
The Kumani island vanishes immediately after surfacing.
The Kumani island can last about before sinking.
In 2025, NASA selected a picture of the Kumani island as its image of the .
According to Tingay, it is amazing how an island can emerge so close to the coast without anyone noticing in today's world.
The Kumani island pops up randomly when the erupts.
The Kumani bank mud volcano is located off the coast of .
The island appeared quietly in , surprising scientists.
This question is required
aimee yang
aimee yanghttps://esl-news.com

Test Your Understanding

Start Quiz
Vocabulary List:
6 words · tap to reveal
ON
Accent
Mysterious/mɪˈstɪr.i.əs/adjective
Difficult or impossible to understand explain or identify.
Appeared/əˈpɪr/verb
To come into sight; become visible or noticeable.
Disappearing/ˌdɪs.əˈpɪr.ɪŋ/verb
To cease to be visible; vanish.
Surprising/sərˈpraɪ.zɪŋ/adjective
Causing surprise; unexpected.
Emerge/ɪˈmɜrdʒ/verb
To come into view or become noticeable.
Noticed/ˈnoʊ.tɪst/verb
To become aware of something to observe.
Vocabulary Learning

How much do you know?

When did the mysterious island appear in the Caspian Sea?
Early 2022
Early 2023
Late 2023
Early 2024
How long can the island on the tip of the Kumani bank mud volcano last before sinking?
6 months
1 year
2 years
5 years
Who noticed the mysterious island on satellite images in 2023?
Mark Twain
Mark Tingay
Mark Zuckerberg
Mark Cuban
In which year did another island form near Kumani island but went unreported?
1983
1993
2003
2013
What did NASA do with a picture of the Kumani island in 2025?
Deleted it
Posted it on social media
Used it as image of the day
Stored it for research
What was the surprising aspect of the Kumani island surfacing in 2023?
Its size
Its location
Its appearance
The quiet emergence
The Kumani island reappeared in the Caspian Sea in 2024.
The Kumani island is located near the mud volcano off the coast of Australia.
The Kumani island was first discovered in 2000.
Geophysicist Mark Tingay was surprised by the surfacing of the island in 2025.
The Kumani island emerged unnoticed for the first time in 1993.
The Kumani island vanishes immediately after surfacing.
The Kumani island can last about before sinking.
In 2025, NASA selected a picture of the Kumani island as its image of the .
According to Tingay, it is amazing how an island can emerge so close to the coast without anyone noticing in today's world.
The Kumani island pops up randomly when the erupts.
The Kumani bank mud volcano is located off the coast of .
The island appeared quietly in , surprising scientists.
This question is required

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