Volcano eruption doesn't stop golfers in Hawaii
Golf

Volcano eruption doesn't stop golfers in Hawaii

Published 1040 GMT (1840 HKT) May 18, 2018
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Stunning photos taken at Hawaii's Big Island on Tuesday show golfers coolly hitting the links even as a monstrous ash plume looms behind them from the Kilaueau volcano on May 15, 2018 at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Mario Tama/Getty Images
The eruption of the Kilauea volcano has destroyed houses, caused evacuations and threatened to wreak havoc on Hawaii's tourism industry but that didn't stop some golfers from carrying on with their game and playing a few rounds. Mario Tama/Getty Images
On Tuesday, a plume of ash from the volcano rose 12,000 feet into the air, dropping ash on sections of the island. Mario Tama/Getty Images
The US Geological Survey said a recent lowering of the lava lake at the volcano's Halemaumau crater "has raised the potential for explosive eruptions" at the volcano. Mario Tama/Getty Images
Boys watch at a golf course as an ash plume rises in the distance from the Kilauea volcano on Hawaii's Big Island on Tuesday. Mario Tama/Getty Images
While people watched on, Kilauea is no place for visitors -- with dangerous levels of sulfur dioxide gas. The eruption created new volcanic vents on the ground, releasing slow-moving lava and toxic gas into communities. If winds weaken, that gas and other volcanic pollutants can easily settle with moisture and dust to create a nasty haze called volcanic smog, or "vog" and tiny sulfuric acid droplets can cause respiratory problems, the US Geological Survey said. Mario Tama/Getty Images