Geology News

Indonesian Mud Volcano is Collapsing

Posted on Thursday, May 29, 2008 @ 5:36 am by Dave Schumaker

In 2006, a drilling accident near the city of Sidoarjo, Indonesia caused a large and rapidly growing mud volcano to form. The volcano, named Lusi, eventually went on to become the fastest growing mud volcano in the world, engulfing upwards of 7 square kilometers and forcing 30,000 people from their homes.

New research from Durham University suggests that if the volcano continues erupting at current levels, the area will significantly subside, resulting in the creation of a caldera.

Source: Reuters

Their research used GPS and satellite data recorded between June 2006 and September 2007 that showed the area affected by Lusi had subsided by between 0.5 metres and 14.5 metres per year.

The scientists found that if Lusi continued to erupt for three to 10 years at the constant rates measured during 2007 then the central part of the volcano could subside by between 44 metres and 146 metres – 26 metres longer than a football pitch.

They propose the subsidence is due to the weight of mud and collapse of rock strata due to the excavation of mud from beneath the surface.

Their study has also found that while some parts of Sidoarjo are subsiding others are rising suggesting that the Watukosek fault system has been reactivated due to the eruption.

We previously wrote about this eruption last year.

More Information:
About.com - Watch Lusi Collapse
Highly Allochthonous - Lusi in Time
Guardian - Mud Volcano on Brink of Collapse

[Via Eurekalert]

(to view associated entry please click here)

Volcanic Smog on Hawaii

Posted on Monday, May 5, 2008 @ 2:05 pm by Dave Schumaker

The recently created vent on the Big Island of Hawaii has seen a lot of activity and has forced the closure of the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park multiple times over the past few months. The Volcanism Blog has had some excellent posts about Hawaii and the new activity as well.

An article out today, written by the Associated Press, talks about the issues facing farmers and residents of the Big Island and their struggles dealing with the volcanic smog (called vog) created by the new vent. The increased levels of sulphur dioxide and a change in wind direction have forced evacuations and killed various crops.

Big Island crops are shriveling as sulfur dioxide from Kilauea wafts over them and envelops them in “vog,” or volcanic smog. People are wheezing, and schoolchildren are being kept indoors during recess. High gas levels led Hawaii Volcanoes National Park to close several days this month, forcing the evacuation of thousands of visitors.

Residents of this volcanic island are used to toxic gas. But this haze is so bad that farmers are thinking about growing different crops, and many people are worrying about their health.

Kirk Brewer, 33, an electrician who moved to the Big Island in 2006 from Southern California, blames his headaches and wife Tracy’s itchy skin, sore throat and runny nose on the vog.

“It’s a bummer when you go to the other islands and see how clear and blue it is, but we’ll just deal with it,” Brewer said.

Image Credit: brandilnm on flickr.

(to view associated entry please click here)

Geology Picture of the Day - Parícutin

Posted on Monday, May 5, 2008 @ 3:52 am by Dave Schumaker

Browsing through some random links on StumbleUpon (for those interested, my StumbleUpon profile is located here), I found this page on the Mexican volcano Parícutin.

Parícutin is famous for its unexpected and sudden birth in a cornfield on February 20, 1943. It began as a large fissure that opened in Dionisio Pulido’s field and quickly grew to a height of 336 meters within one year, burying nearby villages under cinder blocks and lava flows.