On the Big Island of Hawaii in Kona/Kailua for a couple more weeks and I can't get any adequate information on whether or not Kilauea, which has opened two new vents recently and is spewing what they are calling vog, is safe to visit. Some locals say yes; others say stay away.

We have never come to this island and not gone to the volcano, and our youngest, Lily (from Cambodia) has never been there at all. I would hate for her to miss it!

The emissions are dominated by water vapor, sulfer dioxide and carbon dioxide, according to the USGS. (There are also small emissions of hydrogen chloride and hydrogen fluoride, as well as tiny amounts of hydrogen, helium (fun!) and carbon monoxide (not so fun). Exact amounts of these gasses are not being given out by the USGS. It's the sulfur dioxide that is apparently the problem.

There is a site, http://www.airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=airnow.fcsummary, but I can't make any sense of it. Can anyone help? Any other ways to find out the air quality at Volcano, HI? They are warning asthmatics even here in Kona to stay indoors.

Cathryn

Cathryn

• Hawaii air quality