ハワイ郡認定！ ヘイルヒナ-完璧な楽園！

Our anonymous guest just happened to be our last one before Kilauea’s latest eruptive event, which began on May 3rd, finally started quieting down beginning on August 2nd. The recent Lower East Rift Zone (LERZ) eruption is over 120 miles away from Hale Hina and posed no danger to our home or the surrounding area. Since Kilauea has been erupting continuously for 30 years, vog and its related air quality issues have been a preexisting condition to visiting the Big Island, and to the Hawaiian Islands as a whole depending on the wind patterns, prior to this latest eruption. Vog is primarily a mixture of sulfur dioxide (SO2) gas and sulfate (SO4) aerosols containing fine particulate matter 2.5 micrometers in diameter or smaller (PM2.5). SO2 (invisible) reacts with oxygen and moisture in the air to produce SO4 aerosol (visible). The transport of volcanic aerosols, or volcanic smog (Vog), is primarily controlled by two factors - (1) the wind direction and (2) the height of the trade wind temperature inversion. The trade wind inversion is typically between 6500 feet and 8200 feet. Since the volcanic emissions are quite hot when they exit the vents the gas and aerosols rise quite rapidly, however, they mix with the surrounding air and cool just as fast. This can result in a large amount of vog at higher elevations where it is trapped by the trade wind inversion, which it cannot mix across. What that means is that vog and the gasses that create it are formed and trapped at the higher elevations which can make for a cloudy day, but not significantly impact the air quality at the lower elevations especially at sea level. That said, the August 24th USGS Kilauea Volcano report stated, “Sulfur dioxide emission rates at both the summit and LERZ are drastically reduced; the combined rate is lower than at any time since late 2007.” Therefore, if you choose to visit an island chain that is home to an active volcano, the potential presence of vog during your stay is a possibility. There is also a possibility of rain, wind, thunder, lightening, sunshine, and during the winter months, snow in the higher elevations. One of the charming aspects of the Big Island is the multitude of ecosystems. However, if you are highly sensitive, or allergic to any or all types of air particulates and gasses, please choose another vacation destination where you can be guaranteed clean, unpolluted air during the entirety of your holiday.