A weekly feature provided by scientists at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. Surface flows and lava from truncated lava tubes are quickly quenched as they enter the water, shattering to glassy sand and rubble, producing acidic, particle-laden steam clouds. More commonly, lava enters the sea via near-surface tubes encased within the bench, building at the ocean edge. This is not to say that the water isn't hot.
Temperatures can be unpredictable.
Now, you don't need a boat and a thermometer to get a general idea of thermal differences. The changes in water temperature can be interpreted from a distance by the variably tinted sub-concentric circles that expand away from the entry. Several sharp color and temperature gradients exist between the hydrothermal plume and the surrounding ocean. The concentric patterns comprise several distinct temperature regimes. The hottest water is yellowish-brown.