Case Study: A Moving Mud Spring Threatens Critical Infrastructure, Imperial County, California

At the southern end of the San Andreas Fault, the complex tectonic environment near the Salton Sea generates mud pots and mud volcanoes. These features, powered by carbon dioxide gas released at depth, fluctuate in their activity level but remain stationary. In 2016, a mud pot (referred to as a mud spring) began moving southwest. Critical infrastructure, including dual railroad tracks, a petroleum pipeline, underground communication lines, and a state highway, were in the moving mud spring’s path. To maintain the infrastructure operations, we placed temporary barriers to hinder the movement, attempted to de-pressurize the mud spring, and rerouted the tracks, pipeline, and communication lines. As of February 2021, the mud spring moved over 100 m (300 ft) from its 2016 location, cutting a path through these critical infrastructure alignments. Scientific studies to understand the unprecedented movement continues as the mud spring journeys across the desert.