‘Laze’: The latest threat in Hawaii
“Lava entering the ocean causes a chemical reaction and can result in small explosions, sending tiny particles of hydrochloric acid and volcanic glass in the air.”
Jessica Johnson University of East Anglia
First it was lava, then acid rain and vog. Residents near Hawaii’s erupting Kilauea volcano confronted a new threat Monday: laze, a toxic cloud mash-up of lava and haze.
Laze forms when 2,000-degree lava hits cooler seawater. A hydrochloric acid steam cloud billows into the air, along with fine particles of glass.
“Lava entering the ocean causes a chemical reaction and can result in small explosions, sending tiny particles of hydrochloric acid and volcanic glass in the air,” said Jessica Johnson, a geophysicist at the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom.
The acid in the plume is about as corrosive as diluted battery acid. Laze can cause irritations of the skin, eyes and lungs, and those suffering from asthma or emphysema may be particularly vulnerable.
U.S. Geological Survey scientist Wendy Stovall has warned residents that “if you’re feeling stinging on your skin, go inside.”
Mariners are also threatened. “All waterway users should be aware of the hazardous conditions associated with such an event. Getting too close to the lava can result in serious injury or death,” Lt. Cmdr. John Bannon of the U.S. Coast Guard in Honolulu said in a statement.
The danger of the laze plume is literally blowing in the wind.
Laze has been a threat before: “This hot, corrosive gas mixture caused two deaths immediately adjacent to the coastal entry point in 2000 when seawater washed across recent and active lava flows,” the Hawaii Volcano Observatory said.
Bush fires have been reported, Johnson said, adding smoke to the airborne health hazards.
Scientists do not know how long the eruption, which began May 3, will last.
The volcano opened more than 20 vents, including four that merged into one large crack. It has gushed lava and sent a river of molten rock toward the ocean at about 300 yards an hour.
The rate of sulfur dioxide gas shooting from ground fissures has tripled. At the volcano’s summit, two explosive eruptions unleashed clouds of ash.
“A handful of old fissures have reactivated and joined together over the past few days,” CNN correspondent Scott McLean said. “Lava is pouring out like a fountain.”
Kilauea has burned about 40 structures, including two dozen homes. Nearly 3,000 earthquakes have been recorded over the past month.
Though more than 2,000 residents had to evacuate the area, life largely goes on as normal on much of the Big Island. The tourism industry is in full swing, and the island’s airports remain open.