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Canadian geologist Shahin Dashtgard filmed the incredible natural phenomenon of the mud volcano at Yangpu pond near Kaohsiung, Taiwan on April 20, 2019.

Several small active mud volcanoes are located in Southern Taiwan, according to tourism guides. According to Dashtgard, the volcanoes are formed when intense tectonic pressure combines with abundant rainfall that turns the earth to liquid.

Dashtgard recorded this video of the mud volcano alight. He told Storyful that a local man set the mud alight for Dashtgard to see, and that it stayed lighting for around five minutes. The mud is made up of mainly organic material; bacteria use the material and water to generate methane in the mud, which fuels the flames.

Dashtgard told Storyful that the spectacle was “probably the coolest thing I’ve seen.” Credit: Shahin Dashtgard via Storyful