Vog Pictures |
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Volcanic Air Pollution - Photos Showing Vog and its Effects on Air Quality |
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Vog is a term that refers to volcanic smog. It is the haze you may see in the air that is caused by a combination of weather, wind conditions and volcanic activity. Vog becomes thicker or lighter depending upon the amount of emissions from Kilauea volcano, the direction and amount of wind, and other weather conditions. The most critical factors that determines how much vog impacts any area are wind direction and speed. Where and how bad the vog is ultimately depends on several additional factors including air temperature, humidity, and rainfall as well as the location of the source and amount of SO2 being emitted from Kilauea Volcano.
There are currently two main sources of SO2 emissions on Kilauea, the east rift Puu Oo vent and Halemaumau crater vent at the summit. The amount of SO2 emitted by Kilauea has been particularly high since the new gas vent in Halemaumau opened in March 2008. During prevailing trade (from northeast) wind conditions, much of the SO2 from Puu Oo is blown out to sea, while SO2 from the Halemaumau vent often creates vog in Kau communities from Pahala to Ocean View. Unfortunately, both plumes eventually reach the west side of Hawaii Island in a "double-whammy" of combined effects, resulting in an especially dense and nearly constant haze of vog along the Kona coast. When the winds become light and variable or blow from the south, communities in East Hawaii and along the entire Hawaiian Island chain can also suffer the effects of vog. Trade, or northeasterly, winds are dominant 80-90% of the time during the summer and produce poor air quality on the southern and western sides of the island. The east or windward side is more likely to experience poor air quality during trade wind interruptions, which occur more frequently during the winter months.
For normally healthy people, the level of vog typically experienced during trade wind conditions along the Kona coast on Hawaii Island for short-term exposures such as a week of vacation can be more annoying than life-threatening. However for residents officials from the Big Island reported to state lawmakers that they suggest residents prepare "safe rooms" regarding the ongoing eruption of dangerous gases from Kilauea Volcano. Kilauea's two vents continue to spew nearly 3,000 tons of ash and deadly sulfur dioxide gas every day. When Kona weather settles in, various parts of the Big Island are bathed in health-threatening vog. The noxious gasses from the volcano can settle on a community too fast and it is not practical for a whole community to evacuate. Department of Education officials are planning to set up safe rooms in all the schools. Officials admit there is no easy answer or fail-safe plan for what to do when the gas from Kilauea threatens people and agriculture on the Big Island.
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Picture of volcanic gas plume from the Halemaumau crater eruption at sunrise, viewed from the 6000' elevation of Mauna Loa road, Kilauea volcano summit, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The plume of volcanic gases streams into the wind to be distributed as vog and acid rain
Picture #: 066777 |
Stock photo of plume from the Halemaumau crater eruption at sunrise, viewed from the 6000' elevation of Mauna Loa road, Kilauea volcano summit, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
Picture #: 066776 |
Image of heavy vog, photographer, rainy nights full moon lunar rainbow, Halemaumau crater eruption, Jaggar Museum, Kilauea volcano, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, The Big Island of Hawaii
Picture #: 082380 |
Photo of sunrise, Halemaumau crater plume, Kilauea volcano, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The plume of volcanic gases streams into the wind to be distributed as vog and acid rain
Picture #: 066827 |
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Picture of of Halemaumau crater , 3-20-08, as it erupts for the first time since 1972, just below the public viewing area, Kilauea volcano summit, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Picture #: 066729 |
Stock photo of a haze of volcanic vog over Hilo at sunrise, snow covered Mauna Kea volcano in the distance, Coconut island, Hilo bay viewed from the Hilo Hawaiian resort, Hilo, The Big Island of Hawaii
Picture #: 061402 |
Image of Pride of Aloha cruise ship, viewed through a haze of volcanic vog over Hilo at sunrise, Coconut island, Hilo bay viewed from the Hilo Hawaiian resort, Hilo, The Big Island of Hawaii
Picture #: 061405 |
Photo of the plume from the Halemaumau crater eruption at sunrise, viewed from the 6000' elevation of Mauna Loa road, Kilauea volcano summit, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Picture #: 066770 |
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Picture of Kekaha Kai State park, Kua Bay, Kailua Kona, Hawaii, The Big Island in November 2007, showing the normal view without vog
Picture #: 043419 |
Stock photo of heavy vog from Kilauea volcano obscuring the view across Hawaii Island
Picture #: 103348 |
Image of Norwegian Cruise Line Pride of Aloha viewed from Holualoa, Kailua Kona, The Big Island of Hawaii, in April 2007, prior to the 2008 eruption
Picture #: 064294 |
Photo of heavy volcanoc gas plume, photographers, full moon lights up Halemaumau crater eruption, Jaggar Museum, Kilauea volcano, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, The Big Island of Hawaii
Picture #: 082368 |
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Picture of Image of Pride of Aloha cruise ship, viewed through a haze of volcanic vog over Hilo at sunrise, Coconut island, Hilo bay viewed from the Hilo Hawaiian resort, Hilo, The Big Island of Hawaii
Picture #: 061404 |
Stock photo of Celebrity Cruises' ship, Summit, anchoraged in Kailua Bay, Kailua Kona, Big Island, Hawaii, Pacific Ocean, on a clear day in 2006
Picture #: 020958 |
Image of coconut palm trees and clouds, Kailua Kona, Big Island, Hawaii, Pacific - how Kona skies look without vog
Picture #: 075943 |
Photo of heavy vog, volcanic haze from Kilauea volcano, obscurinbg the view of Kailua Kona, The Big Island of Hawaii
Picture #: 103347 |
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