Ground displacements around LUSI mud volcano Indonesia as inferred from GPS surveys
Andreas, Heri et al.
On May 29, 2006 a mud volcano started to form at Porong Sidoarjo East of Java Indonesia. It is further termed as LUSI Mud Volcano (LUSI = Lumpur Sidoarjo ; Lumpur mean mud in Indonesia language). Mud, water, and gas extruded massively and flooded the surrounding areas. The mud flow currently covers an area of about 7 square-km, covering several villages. About 40,000 people have been displaced and the mud volcano is still active after more than 3 years. The mud volcano seems to be unstoppable, and all the attempts to halt the mud eruptions have so far failed. The eruption of the LUSI mud volcano has triggered vertical and horizontal ground displacements. In the early development of mud volcano, GPS surveys results show that subsidence is occurring at rates of 0.1 and 4 cm/day resulting in the development of an avoidshaped sag. It is proposed that the subsidence occurs due to: (1) mud loading, (2) collapse of the overburden due to the removal of mud from the subsurface and (3) land settlement caused by surface works (e.g. construction of dykes). The recent GPS surveys indicate that the ground displacements in and around LUSI mud volcano is still continuing although it is not as big as in the early stage of development of mud volcano.
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