The eruptive activity was first noticed by space-based thermal sensors, which detected heat from the spewing lava in the country’s Afar province.
The area is home to mainly nomadic herders and has seen three other eruptions of the Manda Hararo volcanic field since the first activity in modern times there began in August 2007.
That eruption killed five people and hundreds of livestock and forced 50,000 nomads to flee.
The current eruption is being accompanied by dense plumes of sulphur dioxide gas, according to the Ethiopian News Service.
There was no immediate word on if the eruption has affected any of the nomadic herders in the area.
Photo: filippo_jean on Flickr