New photos show why crowds are flocking to see lava

Courtesy: USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory

One of the individual streams of lava cascading over the sea cliff, produces a thick steam plume at the water’s edge.

Courtesy: USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory

This skylight over a lava tube provides a clear view of the lava stream and a swiftly moving current can easily be seen.

Courtesy: USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory

This near-vertical view from the helicopter shows the surface of the lava lake at Halema`uma`u on Wednesday.

Courtesy: USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory

One of the individual streams of lava cascading over the sea cliff, produces a thick steam plume at the water’s edge.

Courtesy: USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory

This thermal image shows the western portion of the West Ka`ili`ili ocean entry, which hosts numerous small entry points. Active breakouts can be seen on the coastal plain along the west margin of the flow field.

Courtesy: USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory

This photograph taken Tuesday December 13, 2011shows two channels of lava coming over the sea cliff, reaching the new lava delta.

Courtesy: USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory

Small streams of lava cascade over a sea cliff into the ocean in this photo taken Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2011. The ocean entry point is within the National Park, near its eastern border.

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory released new photos of lava at Kilauea, which continues to attract crowds to view the lava entering the ocean.

About 450 people made the trek to a Hawaii County lava viewing point near Kaimu last night to view the current flow enter the ocean. 

The lava is not threatening any homes or structures, but has been blasting steam from a point where it reaches the sea along the coast within the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, said John Drummond, acting administrator for Hawaii County Civil Defense. 

The lava viewing area opens at 2 p.m., and closed at 10 p.m., Drummond said.

The photos released Wednesday on the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory website, show the spread of lava along the coastal plain entering the ocean at numerous points. A thermal image shows the scattered pahoephoe lobes along the plain.

Another photo shows the glow from a lava lake within Kilauea volcano at Halemaumau.

Lava from Kilauea Volcano's Puu Oo vent reached the ocean earlier this month at a spot scientists have named the West Kailiili Ocean Entry.

It is the first time since 2007 that lava is entering the ocean within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Other recent ocean entries have occurred outside the park to the east, through private land and areas within Hawaii County jurisdiction. 

Park visitors are allowed to hike to the site, beginning at the end of Chain of Craters Road. The trek is about four miles one way, across an uneven lava flow field.

Scientists are monitoring a lava delta is being formed at the base of a sea cliff at West Kailiili. Lava deltas can collapse with little warning, produce hot rock falls inland and generate large local waves.