LAVA LOVER'S SURVIVAL GUIDE HOW TO VIEW THE GRANDEUR - AND DANGER - OF PUU OO'S FLOW.

Byline: - Eric Noland

HAWAII VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK - The lure of an active lava flow is a powerful one.

Although rangers discourage visitors from hiking out to where the lava is flowing, intrepid visitors to the Big Island of Hawaii inevitably drive to where Chain of Craters Road is blocked and strike out on foot over the black, forbidding plain. They seek to get as close as possible to the magma that is oozing from the Puu Oo vent.

If this is destined to be you, you should be mindful of a few realities that you've never encountered while hiking in Yosemite or Death Valley or Yellowstone.

The volcanic fumes, particularly those resulting from a collision with seawater, are some of the nastiest air pollution on Earth, containing acids and glass particles. You may be half the way to the lava flow, enjoying postcard conditions, when the wind shifts and blows this cloud into you.

Ranger Kupono McDaniel said he once was five miles from the flow when a large piece of volcanic glass struck him in the eye. ``The emergency room ophthalmologist said my eye looked like Swiss cheese,'' he said, ``and that my vision will be permanently impaired.''

It's a good idea to carry a bandanna, handkerchief or even a spare T-shirt to tie around your mouth and nose to protect you from the drifting plumes.

Stay well back from the coast line - at least one-quarter mile. The flow is causing new island to be formed, but it is not particularly stable land. A lava bench will form over underwater rubble, and sometimes the weight of the bench will prove too much for this shaky foundation.

In 1993, a man taking a picture was killed when the half-acre bench he was standing on plunged away beneath him; several companions had to be treated for injuries from flying debris. Three years later, a 34-acre area of bench and sea cliffs suddenly broke off and tumbled into the ocean.

During our visit, the lava reaching the ocean wasn't producing a lively show, but it's not uncommon for the collision of molten rock and chilly sea to cause rocks and scalding spray to be hurled onto the shore. Two years ago, two people were killed during one of these events.

The hiking conditions are brutal. No two consecutive steps are likely to be on a flat surface, as you follow the undulations of the hardened plain. There is not so much as a sprig of vegetation to provide shade. And the black rock absorbs and retains the sun's heat like a pancake griddle.

Rangers recommend that people venturing out onto the plain wear hiking boots or sturdy, close-toed shoes - not rubber sandals. Hikers should carry three quarts of water per person. They should wear long pants and perhaps leather work gloves for protection against spills on the jagged rock; it's devilish stuff.

And it's a good idea to take along a first-aid kit in the event you need to dress an abrasion or cut.

Rain gear should be stuffed into your pack, too, as storms can blow in without much warning.

Binoculars or a telephoto lens for your camera will enable you to observe or photograph the lava from a safe distance.

Rangers also urge visitors to avoid hiking after dark, even though viewing conditions are optimal at that time. Hikers often get disoriented because of the dearth of landmarks. A flashlight might show you where to step, but it won't cast light on a distant point, such as the end of the road - where your car is parked.

Even if you head out in the afternoon (it's wise to avoid the heat of midday), you should be prepared for fading light in the event your hike takes longer than anticipated. This means carrying a flashlight and extra batteries.

At least there is no danger of being chased down by a lava river; it moves slowly, except at times of violent eruptions.

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(1 -- 2) The lava flows move slowly on the Big Island, but when seawater and lava collide, dangerously toxic steam laden with glass particles and acid is created.

U.S. Geological Survey