In the morning, we head up to
Kilauea crater which is the center of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. From a geological standpoint, the crater sits on the side of Mauna Loa, which is the shield volcano that built the Big Island from the ocean floor. In turn, a fault line to the northeast of Kilauea has allowed lava to flow continuously since the latest eruption started in January, 1983.
The long road winds through the park to various geological sites including the Thurston Lava Tube, various small cinder cones and desert-like areas. Surprisingly, there are also cultural sites embedded in the lava fields, including a site where native Hawaiians carved some petroglyphs into the lava many years ago. As the road comes down to the coast, it dead ends at a fairly fresh lava field that cuts it off from Kalapana.
VOG
Volcanic Fog, known as "VOG" is one of the atmospheric problems that occurs as the volcanic cones spews warm sulphur from its vents which then spreads as an acidic fog along the coast. We got a nasty taste of the VOG as the winds shifted and brought it into our direction at the end of the hike. VOG will definitely cause enough discomfort to sting the eyes and create minor breathing issues.
>> Al
[This blog was restarted in late 2011 and will be completed in January, 2012]
