This Florida ‘swamp volcano’ remains a mystery. Here’s why

Florida has suffered from hurricanes, tornadoes and even tsunamis in the past.

But what about a volcano?

In the 19th century, rumors abounded of a volcano that reportedly existed in northwest Florida.

According to the Florida state archives, this legend came to be known as the “Wakulla Swamp Volcano.”

For generations, people had reported seeing dark billows of smoke rising from the swampy forests southeast of Tallahassee.

The huge volume of smoke meant that it couldn’t be a campfire or some kind of factory, and locals came to believe that the source was a volcano that no one could see.

Despite the name, state records show that the “Wakulla Volcano” actually stemmed from southern Jefferson County, near the “Gum Swamp” section of the St. Marks Wildlife Refuge.

This legend became popularized in the 1860s after newspapers and magazines began reporting on the phenomenon and its potential explanations.

Some speculated during the Civil War that it might have been a signal used by deserters who were hiding out in the swamps to communicate with Union blockade ships.

Other explanations at the time included moonshiners, hermits, lightning strikes, a possible geyser and a boiling spring deep in the swamp.

The legend became so popular that an “epic poem” was created, which told the story of Osola, a boy born from a Wakulla water spirit and the Native American Chief Wacissa.

In the poem, Osola is asked to keep a fire going so that Wacissa can find his way home — an explanation for the mysterious smoke.

The problem was that the area was inaccessible to many.

According to historian Charlie Carlson, an expedition launched in the 1870s by the New York Herald Tribune attempted to uncover the mystery, consisting of only a journalist and three guides.

However, after fighting through the rough terrain for three days, one of the guides fell from a tree while trying to figure out the location of the smoke, and the expedition was soon put to rest, Carlson explains. The reporter died afterward from swamp fever.

State records say that the Wakulla Swamp Volcano appeared to shut down after the 1886 Charleston earthquake, which was powerful enough to spark a tsunami along Florida’s east coast.

Some at the time suggested that the earthquake had caused some kind of geological phenomenon that plugged up the volcano.

A news article by the Tallahassee Democrat in 1974 says that a small handful of people had reportedly ventured out to the area since the earthquake, with a few claiming to have found a crater where a “fiery explosion” must have taken place.

Twenty years prior, the Tampa Tribune reported that crews drilling for oil in the area managed to uncover “material of volcanic origin” at around 7,500 feet underground.

Modern theories point to the idea that the smoke could have been caused by a peat fire, which occurs when a mass of vegetation catches fire and smolders.

Marshy areas can experience these types of fires occasionally, though having them last for so long could be considered unusual.

While we might never be sure about what caused the “Wakulla Swamp Volcano,” News 6 Chief Meteorologist Tom Sorrells gave his take on what could have possibly sparked some of these legends.

“Among the various theories surrounding the enigmatic smoke, I am inclined to favor the idea of fire as the most plausible explanation. Unlike regions experiencing the characteristic ‘Ring of Fire’ geological activity, Florida lacks such occurrences. The tectonic plate responsible for volcanic phenomena in the Eastern Caribbean is situated far south of Cuba, extending westward to include Costa Rica. Given the absence of such bubbling volcanic activity in Florida, it becomes challenging to accept the possibility of recent volcanic events, particularly as late as the 1800s.

On the contrary, instances of fire in Florida are abundant. It is not uncommon for fires to be ignited repeatedly by thunderstorms, and the presence of a peat fire that burned, smoldered, nearly extinguished, or perhaps several fires over the ages appear to be a more reasonable explanation.”

News 6 Chief Meteorologist Tom Sorrells

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