Indonesia Mud Flow

Indonesia, the globe’s biggest archipelagic state has been subjected to geological crises. If you were to trace back the history of this south east Asian republic, you would read that there were plenty of catastrophes that took place in the past years. An example is the ferocious eruption of Anak Krakatau in 1883 that was recorded to be among the most destructive events in the world with a death toll of more than 36, 000 individuals.

General Idea
On May 29 of 2006, there has been an Indonesia mud flow that has been distressing inhabitants in the area of Sidoarjo located in the eastern island of Java. There are reports linking the gas drilling explorations in Panjar Banji initiated by the Lapindo Brantas Company to this mud flow. However, with all the analyses given, there is still no established cause that could have triggered the phenomenon to occur.

Due to more than an average rate of 40, 000 cubic meters of hot mud ejected each day, attempts were made to stop the Indonesia mud flow by the construction of concrete blocks and capped wells. However, these precautions did not stop the mud flow and were said to be “unsuccessful.” The country’s government have been putting a lot of efforts to find other means to stop the mud flow. Most inhabitants of the disturbed districts were compelled to leave behind their properties as the land they were residing was “no longer fit for human habitation” as stated by Djoko Kirmanto from the Public Works Department.

Environmental Activity
In any part of the world that has a sludge dome, there can possibly be a repeat of the Indonesia mud flow. There are a lot of reasons that will cause the occurrence of the natural phenomenon such as the result of a “piercement structure” generated by a harried slush diapir creating a disturbance on the bottom of the ocean. More often, this geological crisis is linked with subduction zones and orogenic belts that emit a fire- resistant gas such as helium.

When you compare the Indonesia mud flow to the neighboring regions, it is quite alarming to note there are traces of the natural phenomenon around these places. The nearby country of China specifically in the province of Xinjang, encountered the same geological crisis. In Myanmar where there are no reports yet of the incidence, sludge domes have been spotted in the Arakan Coast.