This is the spectacular moment lava fountains spewed from a volcano at the Kilauea summit in Hawaii.

Dramatic footage shows two volcanic vents bursting with fiery red geysers on March 5, with the eruption lasting for hours.

Earlier, on March 4, the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) Hawaiian Volcano Observatory team reported that only weak vent activity was observed during their helicopter monitoring pass over Kilauea's summit at 8 am HST.

However, at around 2 pm, the volcano erupted, sending lava fountains skyward.

A geologist was also seen scooping molten lava into a bucket.

The team will conduct a sampling of lava that has slowly oozed out in the eastern portion of the crater in recent days, remnants of earlier episodes.

Kilauea is the world's most active volcanic mass and is the central feature of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

Its caldera is nearly three miles long and two miles wide, with an area of more than four square miles.