06-21-2013, 10:38 AM
Are you sure that's what you were smelling? I know that's a possibility with the geothermal plant but there has also been new lava flowing north and northwest of Pu`u `O`o burning forest for 1.6 miles north of Pu`u `O`o. Kona winds bringing vog would also bring that smoke from the fire and addition sulfur dioxide towards us too.
http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/maps/uploads/image-59.jpg
Recent Observations at the middle east rift zone vents: The tiltmeter at Pu`u `O`o cone recorded a weak inflationary trend. The GPS line length from the north rim to the south base of Pu`u `O`o cone showed fluctuations without a longer-term trend since mid-May. The most recent (preliminary) sulfur dioxide emission rate measurement was 300 tonnes/day on June 17, 2013, from all east rift zone sources; these values have ranged between 150 and 450 t/d in 2013; measurements are made at a greater distance from the sources where the plume is more easily characterized.
Spatter cones on the crater floor of Pu`u `O`o showed their typical incandescence and the northeast spatter cone continued to feed the Kahauale`a II lava flow north of Pu`u `O`o; the June-18 breakout from the Kahauale`a II lava tube high on the NE flank of Pu`u `O`o cone continued to advanced northward over the Kahauale`a II flow. As of last Friday, the most distant front of the Kahaulae`a flow is about 2.5 km (1.6 mi) due north of Pu`u `O`o and is advancing and burning forest at the north edge of Pu`u `O`o's 1983-1986 `a`a flow field. A second, more active, front is about 1.9 km (1.2 mi) NNW of Pu`u `O`o and is slowly advancing and also burning the edge of the forest. Finally, the breakout from the Kahauale`a tube on the lower northern flank of Pu`u `O`o continued to be active and may be building a low shield at the base of Pu`u `O`o cone. PNcam views overnight recorded continued activity at the flow fronts burning forest north of Pu`u `O`o.
Southeast of Pu`u `O`o, the Peace Day flow hosted minor active breakouts at the base of the pali and about mid-way across the coastal plain near the Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park boundary. Most of the Peace Day flow, however, remained in lava tubes that empty into the ocean in two places - a main entry point, producing a persistent gas plume just east of the Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park boundary and a smaller entry point producing a smaller, intermittent gas plume just inside the National Park.
http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/maps/uploads/image-59.jpg
Recent Observations at the middle east rift zone vents: The tiltmeter at Pu`u `O`o cone recorded a weak inflationary trend. The GPS line length from the north rim to the south base of Pu`u `O`o cone showed fluctuations without a longer-term trend since mid-May. The most recent (preliminary) sulfur dioxide emission rate measurement was 300 tonnes/day on June 17, 2013, from all east rift zone sources; these values have ranged between 150 and 450 t/d in 2013; measurements are made at a greater distance from the sources where the plume is more easily characterized.
Spatter cones on the crater floor of Pu`u `O`o showed their typical incandescence and the northeast spatter cone continued to feed the Kahauale`a II lava flow north of Pu`u `O`o; the June-18 breakout from the Kahauale`a II lava tube high on the NE flank of Pu`u `O`o cone continued to advanced northward over the Kahauale`a II flow. As of last Friday, the most distant front of the Kahaulae`a flow is about 2.5 km (1.6 mi) due north of Pu`u `O`o and is advancing and burning forest at the north edge of Pu`u `O`o's 1983-1986 `a`a flow field. A second, more active, front is about 1.9 km (1.2 mi) NNW of Pu`u `O`o and is slowly advancing and also burning the edge of the forest. Finally, the breakout from the Kahauale`a tube on the lower northern flank of Pu`u `O`o continued to be active and may be building a low shield at the base of Pu`u `O`o cone. PNcam views overnight recorded continued activity at the flow fronts burning forest north of Pu`u `O`o.
Southeast of Pu`u `O`o, the Peace Day flow hosted minor active breakouts at the base of the pali and about mid-way across the coastal plain near the Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park boundary. Most of the Peace Day flow, however, remained in lava tubes that empty into the ocean in two places - a main entry point, producing a persistent gas plume just east of the Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park boundary and a smaller entry point producing a smaller, intermittent gas plume just inside the National Park.