A layer of vog (bottom photo) trapped against the southwest
flank of Mauna Loa Volcano obscures the view from the USGS
Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. When the usually strong
northeast trade winds are interrupted, east Hawai`i and
the Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park often experience vog
conditions. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) primary
standard for sulfur dioxide gas says that a person's
exposure should not exceed 0.139 parts per million
averaged over a 24-hour period, more than once each calendar
year. Between 1987 and 1997, the concentration of SO2
exceeded the standard about 70 times in Hawai`i Volcanoes
National Park.
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