Lava lake on Hawaii's Kilauea volcano starts to overflow its rim, drawing large crowds

HONOLULU – A lake of lava on Hawaii's Kilauea volcano has been rising over the past week and, at times, overflowing in a spectacular show.

Janet Babb, a geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, said Thursday that this is the first time lava from this vent has come into view from a public platform within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on Hawaii's Big Island.

The vent within Halema?uma?u Crater opened in 2008 and has been rising and falling since.

The last time molten lava was visible in the crater was in 1982 when a fissure erupted. The last time there was a lake was in 1974.