Syrian Experts Attribute Mount Kawkab Vapors to Human Activity, Not Seismic Events

HASAKAH, Syria – A joint technical committee reported that the unusual vapors seen rising from Mount Kawkab, northeast of Hasakah, are probably the result of human activity rather than any seismic or tectonic process.

The committee’s findings were announced on Wednesday by Syria’s official news agency, SANA.

The panel, comprising specialists from the General Establishment of Geology and Mineral Resources (Ministry of Energy), the National Earthquake Center, and the Hazardous Materials Response Department (Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management), carried out geological, structural, tectonic and seismic surveys of the site.

Waste dump and signs of burning

Field investigators discovered an abandoned waste dump situated between two volcanic flows, with portions of the refuse buried under loose, uneven soil embankments.

They also noted signs that plastic and rubber tires had been burned recently, along with fissures in the disturbed soil.

The committee considered various potential sources for the vapors, such as deep‑seated gas release along fault lines triggered by seismic events, groundwater‑related emissions, hydrocarbon gases, and human activity.

Ultimately, the panel determined that seismic and tectonic forces were not to blame.

The committee noted that no significant earthquakes had taken place near Mount Kawkab capable of shifting underground stress or creating fractures that would permit deep gases to surface.

Earthquakes ruled out

It also dismissed a magnitude‑5.3 quake that hit near Şanlıurfa, southern Turkey, on September 24 as a possible cause.

That temblor, centered roughly 203 kilometers from Mount Kawkab, was deemed too weak and too distant to have influenced the vapors.

Likewise, the seismic events recorded elsewhere in eastern Syria this year were judged insufficient in magnitude and proximity to have generated the emissions.

The Hazardous Materials Response Department reported detecting no abnormal levels of toxic gases or characteristic smells linked to methane or hydrogen sulfide.

A geophysical survey conducted by the General Establishment of Geology and Mineral Resources likewise revealed no fractures or faults that could serve as conduits for underground gas release.

Authorities began probe in September

The committee’s conclusions stemmed from an investigation initiated in late September, after reports of vapors, ground subsidence, and fissures emerged at various points around Mount Kawkab.

Syrian officials advised residents and journalists to keep clear of the zone and refrain from digging or handling any suspicious material until safety checks were finished.

Initial crews first swept the area for unexploded ordnance and wartime remnants; thereafter, environmental specialists assessed the vapors, and the General Establishment of Geology and Mineral Resources performed a more extensive geological and technical evaluation.

Drawing on the combined field observations and technical analyses, the committee concluded that human activity is the most plausible explanation, citing the buried waste deposit, unevenly covered material, and signs of recent burning.

Volcanic landmark

Mount Kawkab stands as a notable geological landmark roughly 15 kilometers east of Hasakah, reaching an elevation of about 516 meters and spanning approximately one kilometer across.

The mountain originated from volcanic activity and is predominantly mantled with basaltic rock; its crater is still discernible despite erosion.

Regarded as a dormant volcanic formation, the site has served as a prominent point of reference for Hasakah’s inhabitants for many years.

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