Should I be concerned about the vog? (Honolulu: live, nurse)

[hotzcatz]

Generally we have tradewinds which push the vog in a similar pattern but there's five mountain tops just on this island which the wind swirls around and the vog goes all sorts of places. Also the strength of the wind makes a huge difference. So, the wind direction and wind strength all change which places will get vog or not. And that doesn't take into account that Pele sometimes is busier than other times. It can go from a small thin plume of vog to a huge boiling vast rising tower of vog.

It is all pretty variable as to where the vog will be and how bad it will be. It's been on the news on occasion, but most folks have been busy watching the financial stuff and the political stuff lately.

[steiconi]

Different parts of the Big Island are more or less affected by vog. The Kau district, including HOVE and South Point, is probably the worst. I lived in Discovery Harbour, near Naalehu, when the new vent opened up, and it wrecked the area for me. I don't have asthma or a lot of allergies, but had sinus problems once it started. What really bugged me was what it did to metal; my tools (including sewing needles) rusted even though they were stored indoors. My jewelry corroded, and the residue irritated my skin (had to wash my earrings in baking soda mixed in water, or my ears got inflamed).

I'm back on the East side (Hilo) now and I don't even notice the vog, though others comment on it occasionally.

[busybody]

Aloha:

If you are planning to go to the Big Island, it seems that the Hilo side is safer from vog than the Kailua-Kona side because of the wind.

I've been to the Big Island 3 times in the last six months and never bothered by vog.


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I recently bought 3 acres in Fern Forest, just down the hill from the Volcano, and because of the position, vog rarely encroaches. The wind blows it northwest, away from the Hilo and Puna areas.

Good luck on your move. Enjoy Hawaii. It's a beautiful magic paradise.

Aloha! :-D

Originally Posted by Hawaii wana be

I am a teacher looking to relocate to Hawaii next summer. I will have seven years of experience, a masters/certification in reading and certification to teach gifted and talented students.
I feel like since it is just my husband and I we will be able to make it. We've wanted to move there for quite some time. It almost feels like the islands are calling our names. He works for a retail store and should be able to transfer to the islands if I can get a job there. We do not intend on moving unless we both have jobs. I plan on going through the DOE website and applying, writing letters, sending resumes etc. Does anyone have a clue what private schools pay?
My one concern is the vog. Since I am in North Carolina right now, I really have no idea how bad it is. I don't see a lot of posts about it. On one hand I read articles about how it is a big deal. On the other hand I don't see a lot of people complaining about it.
Neither one of us have any serious allergies or asthma. Should we cancel our plans just because of the vog? That would break my heart.
Is there anywhere on the big island where vog is not an issue? How is the vog on the other islands? I really want to know if this is a deal breaker.

I know I've asked a lot of questions. If anyone can give me the real scoop I would really appreciate it.

[paulo1]

Originally Posted by busybody

I recently bought 3 acres in Fern Forest, just down the hill from the Volcano, and because of the position, vog rarely encroaches. The wind blows it northwest, away from the Hilo and Puna areas.

Have you been there yet for the Kona winds to start blowing the vog to the east? That usually happens in the winter when the trade winds change. I heard the vog gets pretty bad in Mountain View/Fern Forest areas -- it even affects Hilo.

[nosake]

I live in Volcano and will speak only to that which I know well. The vog can be bad. I don't know whether it affects the Hamakua Coast or Kohala, but other areas get it depending on wind direction. When the Trades dissipate (mostly winter), the Puna & Hilo areas are bad. When the Trades are good, Ka'u and Kona get hit.

[nosake]

Addendum: Vog emits from two locations now: Halema'uma'u and Pu' O'o, the latter being stronger. Again when the Trades are down, Hilo & Puna get hit hard.

[Kohala Coast tennis]

Yesterday the vog was awful. Driving from Waimea down to the resorts, I could not seen Mauna Kea, nor the other two mountains. Yikes. After work I was hiking my dogs and the trade winds started to blow. This morning the vog had mostly been blown off island. It wasn't crystal clear but it was mucg better.

The vog affects everyone differently. Folks with lung issues are the most affected. My husband gets horse when it's bad. If you move to Hawaii, rent for the first six months to make sure it won't bother you. Folks visiting from Los Angeles are not fazed! They are used to air pollution.

Our state legislature has formed a vog committee. I understand they will issue a report in January. Create a "hawaii vog" Google alert. That will give you a lot of information.

[alohakat]

Here's a great satellite image of vog (it looks like coming from two vents) and merging at Kona:
http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/hazards/FAQ_S...waii155_N6.jpg

And here's some facts:
FAQ - SO2, Vog and Ash

I'm trying to find a map of possible airflows of vog throughout the Hawaiian chain, as I'm wondering if it typically approaches from the South or North sides on the other islands -- I'd guess the South side of the chain?

[alohakat]

Well, I found one image of what the vog flow looks like across the Hawaiian chain, but I'm curious if this is a typical pattern or atypical (click on the pic to enlarge):

Earth Observing System (EOS) Aura

[alohakat]

Here's one last interesting photo showing the pattern of air movement looking from the North towards the Southwest as seen from space (visible in the cloud lines) across much of the Islands. You can see at least two vents on the BI in the lower left corner of the pic, and you can see the airflow circling from the BI back towards Molokai and Oahu:

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/New...E-7156_lrg.jpg

Maybe someone else has a better map, because I'm interested in what happens most of the time across the chain to Kauai.