Wednesday, January 18, 2017

VOG!

I looked out my windows and finally saw the Koolau mountain range clearly. Until recently it's been covered with a gray vog. The meteorologists said the only nice thing about the vog is that it gives us colorful sunsets.


Well, last week it was so bad that even the sunsets weren't pretty. It was just gray. Friends with asthma or other lung ailments were really suffering. Smog usually left me feeling tired in Chicago. Here in Hawaii, vog does the same thing.

I got this from Wikipedia:
"Vog is a form of air pollution that results when sulfur dioxide and other gases and particles emitted by an erupting volcano react with oxygen and moisture in the presence of sunlight. The word is a portmanteau of the words "volcanic", "smog", and "fog". The term is in common use in the Hawaiian islands, where the Kīlauea volcano, on the Island of Hawaiʻi (aka "The Big Island"), has been erupting continuously since January 3, 1983."
Today the trade winds are blowing away most of the vog so we're feeling better and the skies are clear. I wonder how the people on the Big Island are faring since that's where the vog originates. I guess it's a matter of whether you're downwind or upwind.

Pretty sunsets are lovely but I prefer the kind that doesn't come with bad air.

21 comments:

  1. That's the first time I ever heard the term "Vog". Thanks for explaining that.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yes, volcanoes can be tough. Hope things get better.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I also had never heard of vog. Hope your air continues to clear. It did make for a pretty picture, though. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Your blog is so educational. Love it always:-)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Count me among your readers who now know what vog is. Hope things clear up permanently soon.

    ReplyDelete
  6. BIG mahalos for reminding me! When I get homesick of the Islands, I remember the VOG. Then California seems really nice!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Never ever heard of cog. I can see why it would be a problem for those with lung problems.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I lived in LA in the VERY smoggy sixties. I've never heard of vog before, but I certainly understand.

    ReplyDelete
  9. It's all about the wind direction, here on the big island. I've had asthma for many years and am able to manage the bad day, although last week was rough at times when I was outside picking citrus, planting, and weeding. I will happily put up with vog now and then after a lifetime in crazy, crowded California!

    ReplyDelete
  10. It is the first time when I have heard about vog

    ReplyDelete
  11. Vog = yuck. It got warmer for a bit with it, and now it is getting chilly again.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Kay, I had never heard of Vog before! I'm glad the wind is pushing it out of your area!!

    ReplyDelete
  13. I had no idea Vog existed in Paradise. Come on wind, blow it away.

    ReplyDelete
  14. too many cities and places have bad air...

    ReplyDelete
  15. This is something new to me. It sounds like vog could do harm to people.

    ReplyDelete
  16. So many cities in the US have cleaned up their air with emission control regulations. Someone needs to speak to that mountain you have over there. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  17. i searched the meaning which was "custom" but you defined it differently but so well .
    we live in area where air has dust due to sandy area but thank god that never heard about disease you mentioned .
    photo is very brilliant .
    wishing you a safe ,healthy breathing !

    ReplyDelete
  18. Never heard of VOG until now. You could video it and VLOG and VOG. :)

    ReplyDelete

I really LOVE hearing from you! However, if you sign in as ANONYMOUS, please don't forget to tell me who you are in the comment box by just writing your first name. We would all appreciate it if you kept your comment respectful and kind.

I’m using Comment Moderation for any post that is more than a day old because of aggravating SPAM. Therefore, if your comment does not go up on an older (more than a day old) post, it's because I need to OK it first. I'm sorry to have to do this, but again... sigh... it's the spam that's driving me crazy.