Sciencemadness Discussion Board - Are there any SM Users in Hawaii?

Are there any SM Users in Hawaii?

VSEPR_VOID - 21-5-2018 at 17:56

If there are any SM members who live in Hawaii will you use the recent eruption from Kilauea to collect geologic samples, in particular sulfur?

roXefeller - 21-5-2018 at 18:04

Haha just visited there, different island of course. Anyway, a rogue scientist might have to sneak around the national guard. They won't kindly allow someone that close to a fissure.

j_sum1 - 21-5-2018 at 18:57

Yes there is but I can't remember the username.

Coincidentally, he posted a thread on a topic that has become current again -- namely OTC ethyl acetate. IIRC he used it as a source of high grade ethanol.
If you do a search you should find it. Whether he is still active is another matter.

VSEPR_VOID - 21-5-2018 at 19:06

Quote: Originally posted by roXefeller

Haha just visited there, different island of course. Anyway, a rogue scientist might have to sneak around the national guard. They won't kindly allow someone that close to a fissure.

I imagine most of their job is preventing looting so there is a chance that they might not be watching. Alternatively said member could convince some surveyors, first responders, or actual scientists to let them tag along.

Tdep - 21-5-2018 at 19:54

There's actually a reason they stop people going up to lava and active fissures. It is hardly a matter of walking up to a lump of sulfur and picking it up. The gases coming off can actually kill you, you don't need to actually fall in the lava to die.
Although if I have to listen to another news report saying 'sulfur dioxide smells like rotten eggs'.....

diddi - 21-5-2018 at 22:57

yeh i second the request for samples please

Morgan - 22-5-2018 at 04:48

Most Common Gases
"Water vapor (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), and sulfur dioxide (SO2) are the most common volcanic gases."

Other Gases
"In lesser amounts, volcanoes release carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), carbonyl sulfide (COS), carbon disulfide (CS2), hydrogen chloride (HCl), hydrogen (H2), methane (CH4), hydrogen flouride (HF), boron, hydrogen bromine (HBr), mercury (Hg) vapor, organic compounds, even gold. From Cadle (1980)."

"Mercury is released by most volcanoes and has been measured at Kilauea, Mauna Loa, Hekla, Erebus, at Mount St. Helens (Siegel and Siegel, 1987). Kilauea produces about 270 tons of mercury each year and has been identified as the source for mercury on Oahu, 320 km away."
http://volcano.oregonstate.edu/book/export/html/151

[Edited on 22-5-2018 by Morgan]

Assured Fish - 22-5-2018 at 14:14

Quote:

sulfur dioxide smells like rotten eggs

Sulfur dioxide doesnt smell like rotten eggs, hydrogen sulfide smells like rotten eggs but so2 is far more acidic and unpleasant.

Morgan - 22-5-2018 at 18:12

I recall some very light pumice blocks my dad had for sanding that had sort of a rotten egg smell to them.

Some mention of them here also.
"I am very familiar with the material you are asking about. Oh my, does it ever stink like rotten eggs(hydrogen sulphide) if abraded! It is a manufactured product and was used in industry like a sanding block for rust removal or whatever. I have run across it in older (pre-1970?) industrial sites a couple times (past job locations-indoor and outdoor.) My experience has been that everyone avoided using that stuff due to the foul odor,lol.** Jobsite anywhere a piece was turned up in moving equipment or even just 'discovered' in some dusty corner, the standard practice was to get someone new to job (i.e. ~young

to do something with it that would release the smell and then have a chuckle over the shared disgust... "
"The fragility of the blocks, and bad odor, as well as the rapid and complete disintegration from use and thus 'messiness' of were are all drawbacks. Maybe someone still makes it for 'some application' but I haven't seen anything in my experience in last 20 years that looked like 'new manufacture'. I have no doubt development of the '3M mesh pad' type products completely killed the 'block stuff'.
Take some home to family and friends- it is awesome gag material

My last encounter was with a couple kids while riverside agate hunting, they found pieces of it. I of course said, "sniff it!" LOL

"
"Maybe someone here can come up with the product name or manufacture patent process or something for posterity You should take a couple clean pics and upload them for the record here- to help future finders with the same question."
https://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,11,288636,289669

[Edited on 23-5-2018 by Morgan]

j_sum1 - 22-5-2018 at 18:33

Both SO2 and H2S are associated with geothermal/volcanic activity. But obviously the S is in a different oxidation state.
I associate H2S with hydrothermal processes such as are encountered with geysers and other situations where magma influences the water table. (But I am no geologist so this assessment may be an oversimplification.) SO2 in my understanding is more common in other forms of volcanism where gases are released at high temperature in the absence of water.

Both are nasty. H2S needs only a low concentration to be dangerous but the smell threshold is below the danger threshold. And, at least in my experience it seems to be present in quite low concentrations under normal circumstances. In this eruption there seems to be really large volumes of SO2 being released at present -- enough to cause asphyxiation and death if you were in the wrong place.