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The VOG blog

Location, location, location. Most people think "hey, your in Hawaii, there can't be a bad location. These days the VOG coming from the very active volcano of Kilauea has been causing problems for this particular location. The VOG travels from the Kilauea Volcano, travels over Mauna Loa and travels to the other islands in some cases creating more VOG hundreds of miles away on Oahu than there is in the general location of the flume causing the VOG. Volcanoes National Park has closed several times over the past several weeks and those people who have come from all over the world to visit this amazing drive through volcano are being kept out for safety. Though the park was reopened yesterday at 1pm, that is primarily due to the trade winds getting back to "normal". Some sections of the park are still closed.

What is VOG? Well, VOG is, simply put, volcanic air polution. Defined in science terms as Sulfer Dioxide or SO2. Those who have seen LA first thing in the morning can relate to how this air polution affects the sky and the air quality. The USGS has implemented a danger level system sort of like our National Security alert levels. The Civil Defense Department of Hawaii County has a similar code using colors. It is important for everyone to heed the warning signs. Fumes are hazardous to your health. Persons with heart or respiratory problems and infants, young children, and pregnant women are especially at risk and should avoid the volcanic fumes.

Vog Levels:
Extreme: Very reduced visability, no visible horizon. Blue/grey tint to objects a mile or less in distance.
Heavy: Reduced visability, horizon barely visible. Blue/grey tint to objects 3 miles away.
Moderate: Horizon is blurry. Blue/grey tint to objects 5 miles away.
Light: Horizon is almost sharp. Blue/grey tint to objects 10 miles away.
No Vog: Sharp horizon and little haze to distant objects

Kilauea has been flowing since 1983 and as the flow changes the rules of the game change. What the USGS has learned over the past several years has changed 70% of what they thought they knew about volcanos. Pele cannot be stopped. What will she do next? We will have to wait and see.

Posted by Patrick Lambert on 04/26/2008 04:11 PM

Comments (7)

vog volanoes national park

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7 Comments on The VOG blog

That volcano better be careful, the crazies in Washington might want to shut it down for emitting green house gases.

04/26/2008 04:15 PM

by Randy L. Prothero - Hawaii REALTOR® (Century 21 Liberty Homes)

LOL, Randy. Washington is too busy holding congressional hearing on Steriods in baseball to address anything serious. Pele will chew them up and spit them out! I sure wish there was some way to use this lava as a positive. Too bad I can't fill my gas tank with it ... we would never run out.

04/26/2008 04:33 PM

by Patrick Lambert (Century 21 All Islands)

Too bad we can't fill our gas tanks with the hot air coming from Washington.. We could sell the surplus to 3rd world countries. LOL

04/26/2008 05:17 PM

by Randy L. Prothero - Hawaii REALTOR® (Century 21 Liberty Homes)

Wonderful information for all! I took some pics of the vog that came our way today.... could barely see outlines of our mountain ranges.

And I gotta agree with Randy...we need to sell it back to them hahahah!

04/26/2008 10:57 PM

by Celeste "SALLY" Cheeseman (RA), HAWAII Real Estate & HAWAII Relocation (Century 21 Liberty Homes -Mililani, Hawaii)

We have Hurricanes here in Florida, you have Volcanoes, Midwest gets Tornadoes, Alaska gets blizzards...

Gotta live with it

04/26/2008 11:03 PM

by Jon Zolsky (FunCoast Realty LLC)

Sally can you put up here one of your pictures from Oahu so people can see how it has travels so far?

04/27/2008 02:02 PM

by Patrick Lambert (Century 21 All Islands)

John, I live about 40 miles as the crow flies. I am living with it. There is still no better place than here. I am actually looking foward to the day when I can the fire shooting into the sky from the volcano like back in 1984. I wasn't here then, so I would really love to have that experience. One of the most amazing life time experienes I ever had was walking across the fresh crunchy lava field (which is indecsribably sharp and dangerous) and actually walked right up to the lava flowing (acutally oozing) down the mountain. It is so amazing.

04/27/2008 02:05 PM

by Patrick Lambert (Century 21 All Islands)

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