Volcanic Smog or VOG Affects the Air in Hawaii

Some days in Hawaii we wake up to what appears to be smog, but with no local factories emitting such pollution, there simply must be another explanation.

There are active volcanoes on the Big Island of Hawaii. They are very fascinating to watch as the lava pours out of the vents and down the rocky slopes. I have traveled to Volcano National Park and been to the water’s edge to observe what happens when lava meets the sea. At night it can be a very beautiful sight as the steam rises several feet into the air. We must also be aware of the dangers.

Sulfur dioxide emitted by volcanoes mixes with other gases, dust from sunlight, and moisture to form fashion. From konaweb.com we discovered that Hawaiians attribute vog to the mysterious goddess Madame Pele. She sleeps for years at a time, but when she decides to wake up, she lets everyone know of her existence by sending a column of sulfur dioxide into the air.

A newly awakened Kilauea volcano (continually erupting since 1983) pours lava into the sea. The wind in Hawaii often comes from the northeast, and volcanic smog builds up around the mountains, especially in areas of western Hawaii.

Some days you can barely make out the buildings of the big cities and the cruise ships in the bay. The horizon becomes invisible. One way to determine the level of volcanic smog is to see how sharp the horizon line is where the ocean and sky meet.

So what is the difference between vog and smog? According to answers.com, when sulfur oxides emitted by a volcano react with moisture to form an aerosol, vog is formed. The vog becomes visible when the aerosol scatters the light. Smog also produces a visible aerosol, but it is formed by incomplete combustion of fuel reacting with oxides of nitrogen along with ozone produced from carbon monoxide and reaction with sunlight.

Smog is yellowish gray while vog is grey. This is because nitrogen oxides are yellow and the sky appears yellowish gray when smog levels are high. By contrast, vog appears gray because sulfur oxides are colorless. Gray dots in the sky can be trapped in the inversion layer for a while after the vog dissipates.

Voicanic smog contains dangerous chemicals that can affect humans and other animals, harm the environment and also the health of plants. The increased vog level has even caused evacuations and also damaged crops due to increased sulfur dioxide emissions.

Acid aerosols are of a size where they can remain in the lungs to affect function and damage the lungs. Watery eyes, headaches, sore throat, flu-like symptoms, breathing difficulties (including inducing asthma attacks), and general lethargy are common complaints. People with respiratory conditions and children are the most affected.

Volcanic smog can also create a hazard for drivers and for air and sea traffic because it generally reduces visibility. In addition to crop damage, domestic animals and even metal objects exposed to the air can be affected by vog. Car owners near Kilauea are well aware of how quickly they rust in this area of ​​the island.

http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/ reports that vog has not been studied enough to determine long-term health effects. However, recently, the US Geological Survey’s Volcano Hazards Program sponsored a workshop on gas geochemistry. This study included the study of the amount of gas and the type of gas that comes out of volcanoes.

If you are visiting Hawaii and the weather forecast includes vog, you can take the following precautions: Drink plenty of fluids, specifically hot teas that open up the lungs. When the vog is extreme, it is recommended to relax and not do physical labor or exercise in the fresh air. Because the vog is worse at higher levels, it’s best to stay closer to sea level. If you experience difficulty breathing, see your doctor. Also, you should avoid being around people who smoke or burn trash. Since vog can make it hard for you to breathe and affect your immune system, try to stay indoors with the air conditioning running. If the vog is very thick, you can try hanging wet sheets that can trap the gases. It is good to have indoor plants that help release oxygen. Make sure you have all your heart and lung medications with you.

If you plan to move to the Big Island, it is strongly recommended that you be aware of the volcanic smog conditions that exist there and the areas from Kailua-Kona to Ocean View that are “generally” most affected. There are also some areas from Volcano Village to Hilo that can also experience high vog levels. While the dangers of these volcanic gases are well known, vog hasn’t caused many deaths in recent history. However, it is potentially more harmful than the particles or gases that make it up.

Since the eruptions are out of our control, the groups are trying to determine the risks associated with living in the immediate vicinity. Many qualified people are studying the best ways to understand and determine the effects vog has on our citizens. For now, since we live on the same island as Honolulu, we can only pray that the trade winds take our vog out.