SAEDNEWS: Iran’s Taftan Volcano Awakens After 700,000 Years: Studies Reveal 9-Centimeter Ground Rise, Highlighting Need for Closer Monitoring
According to the Science Service of Saed News, citing Quds Online, Iran’s Taftan Volcano in the southeast of the country has shown signs of awakening after approximately 700,000 years of dormancy. Recent research indicates increasing gas pressure beneath its surface.
Long considered a sleeping giant, Taftan is now exhibiting new signs of activity that have prompted scientists to rethink its status. This shift underscores the urgent need for closer monitoring of geological activity in the region. Rising gas pressure beneath the surface, along with a 9-centimeter uplift of the ground, are clear indicators of internal changes within this stratovolcano. The event has drawn attention to Iran’s geological landscape and highlights the importance of preparedness for natural hazards.
A study published on October 7, 2025, shows that the ground near Taftan’s summit rose by 9 centimeters between July 2023 and May 2024. This phenomenon signals a buildup of gas beneath the volcano and suggests that this geological giant has reactivated after roughly 710,000 years of silence. Taftan is a 3,940-meter-high stratovolcano in southeastern Iran, situated among mountain ranges formed by the subduction of the Arabian oceanic crust beneath the Eurasian continent. Volcanologist Pablo Gonzalez asserts that, given recent activity, Taftan should no longer be considered “dormant” but “sleeping.”
Mohammad Hossein Mohammadi, a Ph.D. student at IPNA-CSIC, detected the ground uplift through Sentinel-1 satellite images from the European Space Agency. Earlier, in 2023, reports of volcanic gas emissions circulated on social media, with the odor detectable up to 50 kilometers from the city of Khash. The uplift originates at depths of 490 to 630 meters below the surface.
Scientists suggest this phenomenon may result from changes in the volcano’s hydrothermal system and gas accumulation, or minor magma movements that increase pressure in subterranean cavities and rock fractures. Gonzalez emphasizes that the study is not meant to create fear but to urge Iranian authorities to allocate resources for more precise monitoring of Taftan. The region’s remote location and security challenges—including militant activity and border tensions between Iran and Pakistan—make the installation of ground-based monitoring systems particularly difficult.
