Honolulu has been looking a lot like Los Angeles lately. Today the sky was filled with the thick volcanic haze known as "Vog" which drifted over 200 miles from the Big Island of Hawaii to blanket the entire State of Hawaii. The thick vog layer is a result of changing winds and the ongoing eruption of Kilauea volcano on the Big Island.
The Big Island's Kilauea volcano has been constantly erupting from the Pu'u'O'o vent since 1983. Millions of cubic yards of red hot lava has spewed out of the volcano and covered many miles of acreage along the southeastern areas of the Big Island. Lava reached the sea many times sending out clouds of hot sulfuric steam into the atmosphere. Some of these clouds have drifted over the islands through the years.
Last month, Kilauea's Halemaumau crater exploded into activity after a vent near a parking lot suddenly erupted sending a huge plume cloud of gas into the sky. The gas eruption started out small and eventually exploded into a larger event over the course of several days. Nearly a month later, the spewing gas has contributed more volume into the air than what Pu'u'O'o apparently delivers.
The island now has two eruptions going. Pu'u'O'o with its lava flows and Halemaumau with its spewing gas cloud. Note that Halemaumau has not had an explosive eruption since 1924. The last lava eruption from Halemaumau occurred in 1968.
The combination of the two eruptions and the shifting winds have created thicker vog and a greater health hazard to many people on the Big Island of Hawaii and throughout the state.
Volcano Links
- Photos: Voggy Sky in Honolulu, 4-25-08
- HVO Volcano Update
- Hawaii Volcano Observatory
- Kilauea Volcano
- Pu'u'O'o Volcanic Vent
- County of Hawaii Eruption Update
Kilauea Volcano on a clear, calm day... photo taken June 2005 by Mel. The 2 photos at the top of this article show the thick vog in Downtown Honolulu as seen from the 5th floor of the Hawaii State Capitol.
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