The southern end of Salton Sea in California is one of the most active geothermal spots in the United States. In this video I quickly show the location of two of the most famous mud pots, and where the virtually unknown “new” mud pots are located. The “New” Salton Sea mud pots might be the largest and most active in California. Here, a series of divergent and transform faults are ripping the crust apart, forming a spreading center or a rift valley, much like that of Iceland and the mid-Atlantic ridge. Magma is believed to exist little more than a mile beneath your feet in a plume estimated to be about 20 miles long, 4 miles wide, and at least one to two miles thick. This magma produces a large, upward heat flow that powers geothermal plants, as well as numerous hot springs, mud volcanoes and mud pots. In this corner field, mud pots gurgle and bubble, a sign of the geological activity going on underneath.

There’s a geothermal plant nearby (and I have read that a new geothermal plant has been built right next to these mud volcanoes and pots) …

Water and carbon dioxide bubble out of the ground from subsurface hot springs.

Magma is believed to exist little more than a mile beneath your feet in a plume estimated to be about 20 miles long, 4 miles wide

This magma produces a large, upward heat flow that powers geothermal plants, as well as numerous hot springs, mud volcanoes and mud pots.

 The source of the carbon dioxide is the limestone detritus washed down from the Colorado Plateau, deposited by the ancient Colorado River. The CO2 here is so plentiful, it was once harvested to make dry ice.

The netizens also comments of this video:

“You can see some of this geothermal activity at the Davis-Shrimpf seep field on the southeastern shore of the Salton Sea.”

“Use the geothermal energy to desalinate the Salton Sea water..restore the beautiful lake, and you have a new Palm Springs worth billions.”

“Driven by the Salton Sea many times. Never knew these were there. These mud pots are larger than those at Yellowstone.”