Concrete 'to stem Java mud flow' (BBC)

[eppur_se_muova]

A plan to drop concrete balls into the mouth of a "mud volcano" in East Java to stem its flow should go into action next week, Indonesian scientists say.

Hot mud and gas have been spewing out of the ground since May 2006; experts warn the torrent could continue for months, if not years, to come.

But the government-approved scheme could halt the flow within two to three months, the team behind the plan says.

Other geophysicists said it was a "long shot", but "could be worth a try".

Dr Umar Fauzi, who developed the idea with a team at the Bandung Institute of Technology, told the BBC News website the work was due to begin on 7 February, following approval from the government and the team managing the disaster.
***
more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6320565.stm

[kestrel91316]

1. kestrel's prediction:

something like a cannon................

Pressurized mud + cork = KABOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Dead_Parrot]

3. well, they said it was a "long shot".

:evilgrin:

[Odin2005]

2. Interesting idea.

It doesn't hurt to try.

[Eugene]

4. New Indonesian tactic may not halt mud flow - scientist (Reuters)

New Indonesian tactic may not halt mud flow - scientist

By Ahmad Pathoni

2 hours, 24 minutes ago

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesian plans to plug a mud volcano that has displaced
more than 10,000 people by dropping clusters of concrete balls into it is unlikely
to stop the flow, a Japanese scientist said on Tuesday.

-snip-

In the latest effort to brake the flow of hot liquid mud, the government has
announced plans to drop 1,500 concrete balls in clusters linked by metal chains and
weighing around 400-500 kilograms (800-1,000 lbs) each into the mouth of the
volcano.

"It sounds very difficult right now to stop it. It was coming from a very large crater,
so you need a very large structure that can plug that," said James Mori, a scientist
from the Disaster Prevention Research Institute at Kyoto University.

"I think that might be a little bit difficult unless you can put it very deep. You have
to get it maybe 500 meters (yards) down."

-snip-

Full article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070220/sc_nm/indonesia_mud_dc_1

[Javaman]

5. "1,500 concrete balls in clusters linked by metal chains"

Aka chain shot. It was used during the civil war. very ugly results. If that thing blows it won't be pretty.