Lava ponds at Kilauea volcano in Hawaii boiled before its latest eruption.

Scientists from the US Geological Survey's (USGS) Hawaiian Volcano Observatory conducted an aerial overflight of the eruptive vent complex at Kilauea's summit on November 21.

During the flight, roiling lava ponds were visible in both the north and south vents.

Authorities said that a few hours after the overflight, both vents overflowed for the first time.

The overflows occurred ahead of the eruption's likely thirty-seventh lava fountaining episode, expected in the coming days.

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.