How does Larry Niven use imagery in Lucifer's Hammer?

Imagery:

"He found an observation scope unused at the moment; it had a big sun shield built into the optics so that he could look at the comet without going blind. The view was something like a stylized sunburst done in DayGlo and something like falling down a deep well while high on LSD."

"He wondered why there were suddenly so many fish, then considered how their food supply had exploded. All those dead things floating in the water. It only bothered him for a moment."