Volcano is Acting Up #3: Pele is Smoking!

[Les C]

Posted this in another thread. This advisory has been downgraded, as the SO2 levels have dropped into Yellow (?).

[Les C]

At this moment, the SO2 levels are increasing at the Park,
http://www.nature.nps.gov/air/webcams/pa...oalert.cfm

Looks like the winds are weak and the plume is not being blown away. It's still at a "safe" level.

[Cali Hi]

To me, looking at the web cam, it looks like there is a lot more steam, from the front edge and the outside of the crater than I have seen before. I keep waiting for the words "fountaining lava" in the update. It just really feels like something is going to happen.

Aloha,

Jen
California/Hawaii

[aikahimomma]

I agree Jen...much more steam today in many different spots

[Les C]

The Caldera area (say that 10 times, fast) will steam more after rainfall. Maybe that's what you're seeing.

[missydog1]

wow, this is on page 3!
anyhow, they closed the park and Volcano House again today.
Press release:

http://www.nps.gov/havo/parknews/upload/...osure2.pdf

by the way, I was reading a post by a Native Hawaiian who does not at all care for the "give gin to Pele" custom and considers it disrespectful. As she points out, for 1500 years Pele did fine without gin until someone like a Greek immigrant thought he could trick her into putting on a show for gin, and now Pele's sacred places are littered with gin bottles.

She went on to say that it's not enough to mean well, that people who are not of the spiritual beliefs by heritage really shouldn't adopt them unless they take the time to be initiated by a true teacher. In other words, you may mean well, but it's essentially disrespectful as it would be to go into some other faith's church as a non member and a non initiate and try to conduct the most sacred rituals on your own.

I could see her point. So I will not be offering any gin to Pele.

[macuu222]

Anyone having a voggy morning today? We're along the HPP coast and it's not too bad here. Maybe alittle sulfur smell here and there but not enough to cause any panic.

What I'd like to know is where do they put all the volcano house hotel guests when they close the entire park? There must be at least a hundred people staying there at any given time.

[ArtM]

quote:

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Originally posted by macuu222

Anyone having a voggy morning today? We're along the HPP coast and it's not too bad here. Maybe alittle sulfur smell here and there but not enough to cause any panic.

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Very ugly up there last night and earlier today. Light winds. Both Jaggar and visitor center spiked over 2000 ppb between 9:30 PM and midnight. Sensors max out at 2000, but the Jaggar spike suggests that it could easily have been 4000. Over 500 is unhealthy for sensitive people and over 1000 is unhealthy for everyone. Spiked again (red flag) at about 5 AM, Jaggar went to 1600 and visitor center to about 1000.

Winds are still calm now. SO2 could go up again.

Wonder how Volcano fared.

ArtM

[Les C]

Remember, as has been noted in many of the articles and warnings that SO2 is not the same as vog, and one can be present without the other. I think that SO2 doesn't necessarily have the rotten egg smell, but may manifest as a taste in the mouth or burning in the eyes. It's considered more dangerous because it's more acidic. I think the component in vog that carries the rotten egg smell might be hydrogen sulfide; can anyone confirm or correct?

With the winds very low, the plumes are just sitting in the area. The SO2 levels at the Jaggar Museum are in the Yellow range at 460 ppb, getting close to orange, while a short distance away at the visitors center, it's at 132 ppb in the green range.

[missydog1]

Hi Les, you're right; you can't smell sulfur dioxide, so they have to go by monitoring. Hydrogen sulfide is the rotten egg smell. Actually it is Hydrogen sulfide that's a deadly neurotoxic gas at high levels. Remember Bhopal, India?

However, the hydrogen sulfide levels haven't been elevated to the extent where it's the problem right now. If Puna Geothermal ever had a big event with a well blowing out, it could release deadly hydrogen sulfide. The "events" in the 90's did release some, and there was rotten egg smell and some people knocked unconscious in Lanipuna nearby.

Vog is bad over Hilo Bay today. Normally I can see the bay; today there's no visible horizon.