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On May 29, 2006, a torrent of mud spewed from vents that opened up in the ground in a densely populated area of the Indonesian island of Java. That mudflow eventually buried houses, businesses and roads over an area twice the size of Central Park in New York and drove tens of thousands of people from their homes. More than 11 years later, mud, rocks and gases still sputter from the gashes in the earth there.

WASHINGTON D.C. — On May 29, 2006, mud started erupting from several sites on the Indonesian island of Java. Boiling mud, water, rocks and gas poured from newly-created vents in the ground, burying entire towns and compelling many Indonesians to flee. By September 2006, the largest eruption site reached a peak, and enough mud gushed on the surface to fill 72 Olympic-sized swimming pools daily.

Earthquake, not drilling, likely caused 2006 eruption in Java.

A catastrophic mud eruption in Indonesia blamed on drilling by an oil company might instead have natural causes, new research suggests.

Nature Geoscience | Letter Lusi mud eruption triggered by geometric focusing of seismic waves M. Lupi,1 E. H. Saenger,2 F. Fuchs1 S. A. Miller1 Affiliations Contributions Corresponding authors Journal name: Nature Geoscience Year published: (2013) DOI: doi:10.1038/ngeo1884 Received: 29 November 2012 Accepted: 10 June 2013 Published online: 21 July 2013

The end may be near for an erupting mud volcano that has wreaked havoc in Indonesia. In a few years, the volcano will spew just 10 percent as much mud as it does today, scientists predict.

Ever since it first erupted in 2006, the mud volcano Lusi in East Java has not stopped gushing grey mud and has swallowed at least 12 villages. A new study estimates that it won't stop for decades to come.

Since it roared to life in May 2006, a mud volcano near Indonesia's coastal city of Sidoarjo has swallowed homes, rice paddies, factories, and roads, killing 15 people, displacing 40,000, and harming the livelihoods of many more. As the ongoing eruption nears its 5th anniversary, observers wonder whether it will ever stop. The answer: Not anytime soon. A new study predicts the volcano will continue spewing significant amounts of mud for another 2 decades. A second study forecasts that it could grind on as long as 87 years.

Russian report says mud eruption was triggered by series of seismic events that reactivated centuries old mud volcano structure

Suara Pembaruan Article - English version - August 10, 2010

3D subsurface imaging reveals inner workings of mud volcano