Vog Index?

[Wuzzerdad]

Is there anywhere on the web that has a daily Vog index for Puna/Pahoa? []

In general, or heck, specifically how often and when does Vog affect your lives in paradise?

Any particular place that has more/less most/least in Puna?

Aloha everybody

38 and frost yesterday morning in Iowa, giving me incentive to get motivated! [:p]

Rick

[Dot]

Aloha, here is one http://hiso2index.info/

Vog comes and goes....good luck!

Dot

[pahoated]

That index is misleading and not much help monitoring the vog. The sensors up by Volcano are upwind, so they are almost always in the green. This is a better monitor site:

http://satepsanone.nesdis.noaa.gov/pub/O...awaii.html

You can scroll up the SO2 column and see there were hazardous emissions a couple days ago from the recent Pu’u ‘O’o breakouts. Kau and South Kona are very often at hazardous levels for days at a time. Basically, the eruption area is to the west of Puna, the trade wind is blowing westward, the vog dissipates in a cone pattern, so Puna has some of the lowest vog levels in all of Hawaii.

One consideration for moving to Hawaii is determining vog sensitivity. Vog is kind of like allergies, some people are hypersensitive to it and can't tolerate minor levels while others don't really notice anything. To put some perspective on vog (and geothermal) hysteria, here are a couple videos about sulphur miners. These guys are working every day in the caldera of their respective volcanoes. Those crater lakes are highly concentrated sulphuric acid. These miners usually die in their early 40's, they know it but it is one of the higher paying jobs in their area. The second video, a BBC show, shows a reporter entering one of the plumes with a meter, so that can give some perspective regarding levels around Volcano which are very low in comparison. It is interesting how paramount the volcano is here but how most people in Puna almost pretend like its not there and don't really appreciate people bringing up the subject.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YD7RRTPzC9c
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQULD1GRoGw&feature=related

[Kapohocat]

The vog bothers me when it does come down here. Usually it is clear.
But that said, I dont ignore it and appreciate others sensitivity.

I was in Calif in late June, and could not breathe, basically severe allergy symptoms from..... yellow pine pollen. It was on everything outside. The locals (they call us non-mountain people flatlanders) said no rain for much longer than normal this summer so pollen hadnt been washed off trees. It was everywhere and so dry my eyes watered the whole trip. (it was down in the low 10's of % of humidity).

I guess you pick your own poison.

[bluesboy]

SO2 emissions, or VOG, is a by product of an eruption. The Big Island has been hosting an eruption on the East Rift Zone of Kilauea at Pu`u `O`o since 1983. A second eruption at the summit of Kilauea in Halema`uma`u crater began in 2008. Both of these eruptions continue to this day, and continue to emit SO2. The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory website posts a number of resources about VOG (as well as numerous other topics on Hawaiian Volcanism)

http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/hazards/FAQ_SO2-V.../main.html

These SO2 emissions simply go wherever the wind tells them to. ~75% of the time the tradewinds are the dominant wind, blowing from the NE. The rest of the time the winds are considered kona, and it usually has some component of south in it. All of Puna and Hilo are northeast of the erupting vents, so ~75% of the time they are upwind of the vog source.

here's a few different resources for viewing the current so2 conditions around the island, i'll sort them by coverage area.

http://satepsanone.nesdis.noaa.gov/pub/O...awaii.html
This was posted above by pahoated. I think these views are modeled to a certain extent, taking the wind and so2 data into account. it's a cool view, but probably not completely accurate all time. Wind modeling, especially on this island, is a very complicated matter.

http://hiso2index.info/
This displays data from about 10 SO2 sensors around the island. The data is displayed for a 24 hour period, with 15 minute increments. Each 15 minute increment represents the average so2 value over that 15 minute interval. I like this interface the best, and it also shows the data from the sensor near Pahoa, which will be most applicable to lower Puna.

http://www.hawaiiso2network.com/
This displays data from about 10 SO2 sensors around Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. 2 of these sensors are also displayed in the above website. These are also displaying 24 hours of data in 15 minute intervals/averages. Historical data is also available to view.

http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/so2/havoalert.php
This displays data from 2 SO2 sensors around the summit of Kilauea in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. These are the same 2 sensors that are displayed in the 2 websites above. Again, these are also displaying 24 hours of data in 15 minute intervals/averages.

[Wuzzerdad]

Quote "It is interesting how paramount the volcano is here but how most people in Puna almost pretend like its not there and don't really appreciate people bringing up the subject."

Thanks Pahoated! []

I have so much to learn....

You guys are making me feel welcome at any rate, but basically all you will be getting for your efforts is an old washed up retired electrician/technician, and his wife, who will use resources that were already in short supply of those who came before us.

However, we will be able to pay our own way, and pay taxes. Hopefully we would become part of the community and be assets eventually.

Thanks for you input....Keep it comming....[:p]

I love these smiley faces!!![][][8D][:p][:I][^]




Rick

[Kelena]

The worst vog was about a month after I got here. It started on December 21, 2011. I am happy to say it didn't phase me at all. The trade off is that vog brings brilliant crazy sunshiney Kona weather. It was an amazing 30 days or so, with me an my girl getting settled in. I had no idea what awaited me and some of it was vexing and I felt like the island was trying to cough me up like a hairball, but the vog should be the least of your worries.

In fact, pray for vog. And watch out for those vicious, vicious peanut allergies. And scary silky vixens with chainsaws! You have been warned.

[EightFingers]

"... I felt like the island was trying to cough me up like a hairball, ..."

Excellent visual, thanks!

[pahoated]

I am more afraid of random pink gorilla attacks making their way to Puna ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftz9oqFkVAY

[Kelena]

Mahalo, pahoated. This is such an important contribution to the understanding of our community. It is good for malihini to know that newcomers may see and experience some truly frightening things in East Hawaii. I will be avoiding the Subway where the pink gorilla eats for some time to come.

But the silky vixens with chainsaws are, unfortunately, much, much smarter than that dopey, silly gorilla (although I do admire that he has the good sense to run). And they know right where to aim. They, are, however, very rare --- a fact they use to tactical advantage as in "Oh, look - a pink unicorn!". Yep. A unicorn that will friggin' lance you through the chest. If they sing to you and you fall under their spell, forget it. You are toast. With real butter only, as per their demand --just one of many. Spread it on yourself because they don't want to get any on their fingernails, unless they are using the chainsaw in which case they don't care. Don't try to stop them from eating you. You have already been paralyzed and will, inexplicably, give in to every single demand against all reason and conscience and good sense.

You will wish you had a 100 pink gorillas stomping on your chest. Why isn't this in the Chamber of Commerce brochures? Ha'ina ma ka puana.

But you and I agree: Vog should be the LEAST of anyone's worries in Puna.