Kilauea Volcano in Hawaii
Mikaela Chambers
To the Smiths,
I am going to inform to you that the Kilauea Volcano on this island is safe, but also sometimes can be a health hazard for children and adults. Kilauea Volcano erupts all the time, but we have tools and a team to help know when the volcano is going to erupt and what to do. I am going to inform to you how this volcano formed, how it is effecting the people, and what we are doing to know when the volcano is coming.
How was this volcano formed?
Kilauea is formed from wide sheets of volcanic rock built up over tens of thousands of years. (BBC News) This volcano erupts continuously. According to the American Museum of Natural History, “Over time, the plate moves slowly, like a conveyor belt, and the volcano -- which sits on the plate -- slides along with it. Eventually the magma generated by the hot spot finds a new pathway to the surface and creates a new volcano. Like Kilauea, an active volcano always punctuates a chain of older, inactive ones”(How). It also states,“At a hot spot, magma from Earth's interior rises toward the surface. Eventually it breaks through to the surface and erupts, creating a volcano. If the hotpots is beneath an ocean, it creates a chain of islands like the ones in Hawaii”(How).
How is Kilauea volcano effecting the people?
In Hawaii, there is a risk time from 7:00 pm- 10:00 am (Staff Reporter). This is because the sulfur dioxide in the community is getting worse and it is ruining children and adults health. Sulfur Dioxide releases volcanic air pollution (also known as vog) and this is from active volcanoes creating deadly affects on nearby inhabitants (Staff Reporter). Children are breathing through their mouth which is creating the SO2 to react with their respiratory tract and this is becoming harmful to the children, making it harder to breathe (Staff Reporter). Bernadette Longo, an assistant professor at the University Orvis School of Nursing and studies, reported,"An escalation of headaches, severe sore throats, cough and acute airway problems ( respiratory problems requiring breathing treatments and emergency hospitalization) occurred three months after the eruption." (Staff Reporter).
What is Hawaii doing to know when Kilauea is coming?
As the volcano is erupting the community of Hilo needs to know when it is coming and take action. Hilo has a device of when the volcano is going to erupt and the people put on gas masks just long enough for them to be able to evacuate.(Tyler Mercier and Chris Mercier). A family who lives in Hawaii says,"We know that Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) could be a significant health problem and so we prepared ourselves by buying a detector that warns us when the SO2 levels get dangerous"(Chris Mercier and Tyler Mercier). When the SO2 is in the unhealthy range, Hawaii has air filters to help take in the SO2 so it won't affect people as much. (Chris Mercier and Tyler Mercier) It is a good idea to have detectors and air filters because as the air gets bad it will be hard to evacuate and so when you have a notice before the levels of SO2 gets worse, the community will know which is helping Hawaii. The U.S. Geological Survey states,"To help protect lives and property, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory closely monitor and study Hawaii's volcanoes and issue timely warnings of hazardous activity." With all the tools and people that Hawaii has, we are assuring you there should be no worry in being on this island.
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Kilauea Volcano Erupts - Dramatic Video
Volcanic sulfur dioxide over Kilauea Hawaii 2008
Work Citation
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