Hawaii's Kilauea volcano fired lava over 100 metres into the sky from its summit crater after it resumed erupting on Tuesday, local time.
It is the 32nd time the volcano has released molten rock since December last year, when its current eruption began.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) said this eruption featured "vigorous lava fountaining".
However, all the lava from this eruption has been contained within the summit crater inside Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park.
Lava emerged from the north vent in Halemaumau Crater after midnight, local time.
The vent began shooting fountains of lava at 6:35am, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said.
By mid-morning, it was also erupting from the crater's south vent and a third vent in between.
"The current eruption has been characterised by episodic lava fountaining not seen in any eruptions since the 1983–86 episodic fountains at the beginning of the Pu?u?o?o eruption," a statement from USGS said.
This eruption is occurring within a closed area of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, so the USGS currently has it listed as a "watch" alert level, one under the highest "warning" alert.
"High levels of volcanic gas — primarily water vapour, carbon dioxide, and sulphur dioxide — are one major hazard of concern, as this hazard can have far-reaching effects downwind," USGS added.
"Another major hazard is fallout of Pele's hair and other volcanic fragments from lava fountains."
Pele's hair, named after the Hawaiian goddess of volcanoes, is fibre-like pieces of volcanic glass that can be produced by lava fountaining activity. They can be carried more than 15 kilometres from the volcano.
Volcanic ash, pumice, scoria and reticulite are other examples of hot volcanic objects that can fall on the ground near the vent site.
Other significant hazards in the area include "crater wall instability, ground cracking, and rockfalls that can be enhanced by earthquakes", USGS said, adding this was why the immediate area remained closed to the public.
Kilauea is one of the world's most active volcanoes and is located on Hawaii Island, the largest of the Hawaiian archipelago.
It is about 320 kilometres south of the state's largest city, Honolulu, which is on Oahu.
ABC/AP
