'Vog' and glass shard warning issued across Hawaii's Big Island as volcano erupts
Hawaiii's Kilauea volcano has once again rumbled to life with a fiery eruption, prompting authorities to issue a "vog" warning across the Big Island.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) has issued an orange "watch" alert for the eruption, which began last week and sent lava spewing from the caldera while temperatures soared to 1150 degrees.
USGS has outlined several health hazards as the eruption continues.
Most notable is the risk of volcanic smog (vog) and lightweight volcanic glass fragments, such as Pele's hair, blowing downwind.
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Kilauea is located in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park is the second largest volcano in Hawaii. U.S. Geological Survey via AP
"High levels of volcanic gas, primarily water vapor, carbon dioxide, and sulphur dioxide, are the primary hazard of concern, as this hazard can have far-reaching effects down-wind," it wrote.
"As SO2 is continuously released from the summit during the eruption, it will react in the atmosphere to create the visible haze known as vog (volcanic smog) downwind of Kīlauea.
"Additional hazards include Pele's hair and other lightweight volcanic glass fragments from the lava fountains that will fall downwind of the fissure vents and dust the ground within a few hundred meters (yards) of the vent (s). Strong winds may waft lighter particles to greater distances."
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Lava has been spewing from the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii since last week. Janice Wei/National Park Service via AP
Residents and visitors to the island are advised to minimise their exposure to he particles.
The volcanic materials are known to cause skin and eye irritation.
USGS also said the Kīlauea caldera is at risk of "crater wall instability, ground cracking, and rockfalls that can be enhanced by earthquakes".
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USGS previously issued a red alert for the volcano, but that has since been downgraded. U.S. Geological Survey via AP
Kilauea is located in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park is the second largest volcano in Hawaii.
It also happens to be one of the most active volcanoes on earth, and has been almost continually erupting since 1983.
In 2018 hundreds of homes were destroyed by a slow-moving flood of lava that swallowed the southeast area of Big Island and completely filled Kapoho Bay.
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