Jaunted

Volcano Travel: Beware the Vog

5/23/2008 at 11:45 AM
Tags: Big Island Travel, National Parks, Volcanoes, Volcano Travel, Nature (all tags)

Visitors have been enjoying the show at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park since March, when a new vent exploded open in Halemaumau Crater at the summit of Kilauea. The volcano has sent a continuous flow of fluffy white gas into the sky, adding some excitement to the park's already impressive lava flows.

But Kilauea has also covered the Big Island in a haze of "vog"--volcanic fog--which is heavy in sulfur dioxide and has some island residents wheezing and worrying for their health. Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park has been among the voggiest areas, leading rangers to close parts of the park nearest the summit, and even temporarily shutter the entire park in April.

The Big Island Visitors Bureau launched a press push this week to bring visitors back to the park, noting that the trade winds returned last Friday, pushing the vog out to sea and creating clearer viewing opportunities.

If you'd rather check the vog from a distance, the NPS has set up a webcam on the volcano.

Related Stories:
· Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park [Official Site]
· Losing Your Cool in Hawaii [Jaunted]
· National Parks coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: bobster1985]