Vog related natural disaster on Big Island

by Joe on Jul. 31st, 2008
in Earth and Space Science

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Emissions from Kilauea vent.: Rainbow and sulfur dioxide emissions from the Halema`uma`u vent, Kīlauea.
Courtesy Mila ZinkovaEver heard of vog? I hadn’t until this morning.

Vog is short for volcanic smog, which is formed when the gases (such as sulfur dioxide) from a volcano mix with moisture, oxygen and sunlight. The result is smog, but smog from a natural source, a volcano.

Yesterday the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture gave the Hawaiian Island of Hawai’i (known as Big Island) a Secretarial Disaster Designation as the crops being grown on this volcanic island are being damaged by vog generated by the Kilauea volcano. Lawmakers in the House of Representatives say that vog should be considered a natural disaster much like a hurricane or tsunami.

The risk to individuals from the vog is unknown at this point, but the Centers for Disease Control will assist in assessing the health risk of the vog to Big Island residents.

The volcano has been erupting since 1983 but the vog only became an issue this past March when a small explosion created a new vent on the volcano.

Kilauea is a shield volcano that has been Hawaii’s most active volcano during historical time, and is one of five shield volcanoes that together make up Big Island.

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