Hilo, Hawaii- Judy Crosby, director of DaVinci Expereince Science & Arts Camps in Maine visited the big island of Hawaii as Kilauea eruption affected the air quality of Hawaii and the effects of VOG were felt and seen on the neighboring island of Maui. Judy learned a new term Vog (rhymes with smog) and refers to volcanic organic gases. The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reported measuring sulfer dioxide emissions of 1,150 metric tons on Monday April 21st. A week later a park ranger at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park told Judy that Kilauea was spewing 2,000 metric tons of SO2 making it the biggest air polluter in the world right now.
The department also reported that the particulate levels exceeded state standards of 35 grams/cubic meter in Kona on April 15 & !6th. Natives of Maui told Judy they had never seen Vog this bad in their lifetimes. Northeast winds normally blow the fumes out to sea, but light winds allow the gas to hover over the volcano. Visibility had been clear when she and her husband, Tom arrived on Maui April 19th but by the end of the following week they could no longer see the nearby island of Moloki from the west coast of Maui. It was shrouded in Vog as were the mountains of west Maui. The Maui District Health Office issued a health advisory for people with respiratory conditions.
Volcanoes National Park on the big island of Hawaii was ordered closed Wednesday April 23 by park superintendent Cindy Orlando and around 2,000 people were evacuated. The park reopened on the weekend when the trade winds shifted and pushed emissions out to sea. Judy and Tom flew over to visit the Volcano Observatory and hike much of the craters rim as well as visiting the lava fields and the east rift below Puu Oo eruption site where a continuing flow of lava was running into the ocean. They kept a careful eye on the wind direction and listened to radio notices, but while following the rift down to sea level in the National Volcano Park the wind shifted. They were caught downwind of the emissions and felt first hand the effects of the sulfur dioxide. Tom's eyes began to sting and Judy's throat and breathing passages were irritated. They were able to get to higher altitude and change direction to escape the fumes and both are fine now.