Great pictures, that is so bizzare! I had never heard of a mud volcano before this.

I'd certainly hate to be one of the men carrying out maintenance work on the volcano itself (especially on top of the water!)
Every day this blog has increased my understanding of the world while delighting my eyes. Job well done!

this "The Big Picture" page is awesome!
thanks for your time to share this

Amazing pictures, this blog is my new favorite.

Incredible that this blog creates a more relevant presentation of what the world and humankind has created for us to see. Not just a broadcast for a moments interpretation. Some compelling pictures that help to see that we Americans have neighbors that love, hate, live, and die. Some that know us, some that hate us, and some that don't even know we exist. All with the same basic needs. Also some amazing pictures that celebrate human ingenuity in America and abroad...its strengths and weaknesses. Thank you for helping to teach all of us our ignorance in this world that can't be controlled.

This site is AMAZING!!!

Wow, this is insane.

Keep up the good work, k :)

great. here in Brazil I already recommended this blog to many friends. I hope that they're also viewing it everyday, as I am. many great pictures about relevant subjects. thanks a lot.

You are doing Great Job. The Quality you bring in is amazing so are you themes. Continue Your look.

although it is a great tragedy that so many people have be displaced, and their village has been completely destroyed, they can at least try to rebuild on top of the dried mud.. can't they? these pictures are awesome.. it really does paint a picture of what we don't know about others around the world. never heard of a mud volcano.. and these pictures definitely help explain what it is.

unbelievable pictures, as always.

This is what a news service *should* be. Unbiased, literally images.

kudos to the team who has put togeather this photos

really a opener

great job done guys.

This journal is amazing! Keep it up.

I lived in Indonesia last year and many locals told me the mud volcano was a punishment from God. I was also told that the government had tried a number of attempts to stop the flow, including 'plugging' it with a giant boulder.

Iam from Slovakia. This web page is wonderfool pictures. Very good photo.

I linked to your site through Photo JoJo and I am SO HAPPY they sent advertisement for your blog my way. I will be sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for what you post next...truly amazing stories and photography here. Thank you so much for sharing this with us all!

thank you so much for this blog - a friend passed me the link and I'm just amazed. Beautiful! Keep it up, please.

Well done to the Boston Globe.

This site is an example of just how great the web can be at showing us all how the world is, and how our fellow humans live.

Thank you!

Well that's ONE way to renovate a neighborhood!
Is that gas company going to be held liable for causing all this loss of life and property? They say we're too litigious in America, but without the threat of financially crippling lawsuits over their heads I wonder how many U.S. corporations would behave like this.

I second the #2 comment

Response to #19 and all of reader of this blog.

Nop, the company didn't held liable for their action. After two yrs, no legal decision yet on the cause, and 50.000 people left permanently homeless. While the company owner became wealthiest man in Indonesia at the same time serving as
minister that hold this fact not be recognized worldwide

This post and pics did bring awesome sight, but it failed to tell its audiences that there's so much misery to the victims as well.

plz check http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=26083340518 for more info on this worst industrial disaster the world hv ever seen

Yes, not only the news you import to us, but the big picture concept is great! Thanks.

This site is so awesome. Why havent other newspapers thought of this yet?

Great blog, I just discovered it today thru Wired.com, and now I am going thru your archives. Love the idea, love the pictures.

You are doing so much, bringing this into my live, all this sights from far away places...

Keep it up :):):)

the last one is the best!!!! what I would do to check out the inside of that building! Starting from the roof heading to the first floor.

Drilling 9300 feet down !?!?!
Some of us humans are the most stupid species ever and anywhere ! Some day we're going to crack this planet in two !
All this mud, gases and water coming out... I would think it's vital to earth in some way or another. All this mess we're making on this ONE and ONLY planet of ours for the sake of money !!! Retarded I say ...

With regard to #26, 9,300 hundred feet is nothing, especially where oil & gas is concerned.
Deep wells of 12,000 feet are normal in most rugged locations. Records start to get set, when drill depths descend to over 31,000 feet.
However, all in these deep wells, geophysical mapping is also the norm, from the surface, down.
Clearly, here, if any proper geophysical work had been done, then the gooey mass under their feet, well within Deep Ground Sonic Detection range, would have been noticed. Clearly, this accident was preventable. Clearly, greed or incompetence or both, created this mess. Clearly, someone should pay.

its weird!!!!!!!!!!!

This is a disaster of truly Biblical proportions. La Pindo and their JV partner Santos are clearly to blame. Normal drilling practice would have ensured this disaster did not ever occur. The fact that the well was not cased is the primary cause of the problem. That the Government is still procrastinating about who is to blame is extraordinary. Could it have something to do with the fact that La Pindo is owned by Bakerie !!
What about justice for those impacted by this !

i gonna go and have a look tomorrow.....just by ciincident i am in indonesia and got this info by coincident also....tomorrow will see...and i will send you some more photos to confirm!!!

Thanks so much for publishing those excellence phographs. Until more than 2 years of LUSI's Birth Day the hot mud eruption still going steadily. Until Now has experienced with sudden collapse, in which it create a big a depression region, particularlly in the south and easth sides of eruption centre. Surprisingly, the last sudden collapse occurred just about 5 days from yours photograps was taken in May 29 2008.
For non commercial purpose I would like to ask you to use some photographs in my technical report, concerning Evaluating and Monitoring of geological hazard due to Lusi Eruption.
For whom interesting to see directly until it's big hole or eruption centre please contact me, I am very happy to give ypu with some guidances and help (See You in Sidoarjo, East Java, Indonesia).
Sincerely Yours
Hardi Prasetyo
BPLS (The Sidoarjo Mud Flow Management Board)

The last picture depicts a remnant of a mosque. Mosques are usually among the tallest and of highest quality of building in most Indonesian Villages. It explains why this building is the last thing standing. The same thing happened in Aceh during Tsunami.

On top of the building, it used to be a dome. I believe the dome has been taken and perhaps relocated elsewhere.