Archive for the ‘volcanoes’ tag
Recent Volcanic Activity #
Though the theme and title of this Big Picture post is rather inelegant, the pictures are quite amazing.
Mud Volcano #
The Big Picture has some pictures of a phenomenon I’d never heard of.
Two years ago now, on 28 May 2006, gas company PT Lapindo Brantas exploring for gas in Sidoarjo, in East Java, Indonesia, drilled a borehole. At 5 AM, a secondary stage of drilling began and the drill string went about 9,300 feet down, after which the first small eruption of water, steam and a small amount of gas occurred at a location just southwest of the well. Several other eruptions followed over the next few days. The flow of hot mud has not ceased since.
Fourteen people have been killed and 30,000 people have been evacuated from the area. At least a dozen villages, with more than 10,000 homes have been destroyed while schools, offices and factories have also been wiped out and a major impact on the wider marine and coastal environment is expected.
Amazing Pictures of Chilean Volcano #
Chaitén was long thought dormant, then it started erupting last week. Evacuations of about 4,000 have gone on, but it’s thought to have caused no human casualties. And these pictures really are amazing.
(via Wired Science)