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Geologists reignited the debate Monday about whether to blame nature or humans for the devastating eruption nine years ago of an Indonesian mud volcano still oozing its all-consuming sludge today.

New analysis of underground gas levels measured at the time of the outburst point the finger to gas exploration -- not an earthquake -- as the trigger, a research team from the United States, Britain and Australia wrote in the journal Nature Geosciences.
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Indonesia’s ‘Mud Volcano’ and Nine Years of Debate About Its Muck

“I am surprised that the authors could arrive at such a strong conclusion from such inconclusive data,” said Stephen Miller, a professor of geodynamics and geothermics at the University of Neuchâtel in Switzerland who has published findings in support of the earthquake hypothesis. “All science screams that Lusi is natural.”
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Indonesian constitutional court (Mahkamah konstitusi) recent ruling - Lumpur Sidoarjo

Mahkamah konstitusi is the highest court in Indonesia that rules on the constitutionality of laws & regulations passed by government bodies.
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Source of world’s largest mud volcano is still in dispute 10 years on from first eruption

Lusi is possibly the youngest sedimentary-hosted hydrothermal/geothermal system on Earth and is located a few kilometers to the NE of the Arjuno-Welirang volcanic complex. Picture: Humanitus Sidoarjo Fund
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Und ewig blubbert Lusi

Vielleicht war es ein Fehler bei einer Bohrung oder ein entferntes Erdbeben. Seit zehn Jahren jedenfalls sprudelt Schlamm aus einem Loch in Java. Bereits 40 000 Menschen haben ihre Häuser verloren.