By 5:30 a.m., 500 acres of lava covered the caldera floor, a large basin that forms when a volcano erupts and collapses, according to the National Park Service. Photos and videos obtained by CNN ...

In these pictures researchers work on the top of the 4,000ft Kilauea volcano. The shots were taken by local photographer G. Brad Lewis, 56, who said: 'Erupting volcanoes have always fascinated me.