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Not Fog, Not Smog, It's VogThe and Hawaii ... Travel Ezine, dated 01/29/01, by Lisa Weber
++++ In this Issue ++++ 01. Title Article - Not fog, not smog, it's Vog 02. Travels deals - Kona, low airfare site 03. Hawaiian Word - puka 04. Hawaiian article - Waikiki for families 05. Content - Still flowing after all these years 06. Website - Mystic Volcanic Landscapes 01. ---Not fog, not smog, it's Vog--- Chances are, if you are on the Big Island, Maui, or even southern Oahu during this time of year you may get to experience Vog firsthand. What is Vog? It is Volcanic smog - a kind of haze in the air , that is created when volcanic emissions from Kilauea Volcano react with moisture in the air. On days when our normal trade winds are giving us a nice breeze off the ocean, it blows right out over the ocean and doesn't bother anyone, but on days when the winds are reversed, and we get the dreaded 'Kona' winds, the vog is blown from the volcano onto the entire Big Island, some of Maui, and I have even seen it over Ewa Beach on Oahu before. Is it dangerous? Well, it's not completely harmless. It contains microscopic sulfate particles, which can be related to respiratory compaints. I'll walk around and go to work when it's voggy, but I won't exercise outside. You as the visitor would probably want to restrict any strenuous outdoor activities. How do you know when it's voggy? Well, the number one way I tell is that I get a sulphur taste in my mouth. If it's extreme, you can see it, and it will just look like a foggy day. We don't get much fog here, and we get no polution smog - so you can be pretty sure it is vog. My article today was inspired by the USGS's article in the newspaper today about this subject. The good news this article mentioned was they will now be monitoring the amount of vog in the air and reporting a high presence to various authorities, so if the vog does pose a danger, you'll see it on the news or on signs posted at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Don't worry, vog is not an every day thing, and most likely, it won't affect your visit at all. If you'd like to read the article by the USGS, it is here. Volcano Watch ---Internet Travel Deals Watch--- ** check the web sites for details and restrictions --------------------------------------------- LA straight through to Kona, for under $500 with TWA. --------------------------------------------- Air-fare Airfare deals around the net. Tip! Scroll to the bottom of the page, and click on a city near you. The Chicago link shows flight information for $611 - which is pretty darn good. --------------------------------------------- Cruises n more Cruises n more Hawaii cruise deals. --------------------------------------------- ---Hawaiian Word of the Week--- puka - (poo kah) - hole, door, gate, opening Puka is a great word, used very commonly in everyday conversation. It can refer to small holes, big holes, holes in paper, holes in cars, holes in the body … Remember the puka shell necklaces? Believe it or not, they're back in a big way, but little did we all know then that real puka shells were just shells with holes in them. Here's a good illustrative picture. Puka shells picture 04. ---Hawaiian Article/Information Watch--- Waikiki for Families This article, titled "Waikiki For Families" points out 5 readily available activities kids and parents alike will enjoy doing. 05. ---Still flowing, after all these years--- Kilauea Volcano is still pouring lava into the ocean, burning forests, covering land, and once in a while - burning an abandoned house in Royal Gardens. I believe this year makes 18 years of active lava flow. If you are planning on visiting the flow, the hike out is still a long and arduous one of three to four miles over old lava. Yes, people sometimes get injured, so be careful. The best way to get daily updates on lava activity before your trip is here. Daily Lava flow update This page is amazing and maintained by the USGS people at the observatory. Good pictures too. 06. ---Hawaiian Website Watch--- In keeping with our volcano theme this issue, I have a great lava picture site to check out. Mystic volcanic landscapes Mystic Volcanic Landscapes is website that is a little hard to read and navigate through, but has fascinating pictures of the volcano, including new ones from this month. Just ignore the blue lava picture that tells you that you have a virus. That's plain silly. Have a story or a question you'd like to share? E-mail me at ezine@andhawaii.com . Until next week, Lisa. http://www.andhawaii.com |
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