Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

On Friday, we got up early and headed for Volcano National Park. We got there before the visitor center opened so we headed to the lava tube first. A short walk from the Visitors Center there were steam vents everywhere. Ground water seeps down to the hot volcanic rocks in this area and returns to the surface as steam.

We also saw the Sulphur banks nearby where volcanic gases seep out of the ground along with groundwater steam. These gases are rich in carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and hydrogen sulfide -the gas that smells like rotten eggs. Some sulfur gases deposit pure crystals at Sulphur Banks.Read more