Magnitude 7.0 - LOYALTY ISLANDS

A massive, 7.0 magnitude earthquake has struck off the new Caledonia islands in the Southern Pacific, the USGS reports.

The quake was initially measured at 7.3, before it was downgraded after review by a seismologist. It was centered 85 miles SSW of Vanuatu, and 80 miles NNE of the Loyalty Islands. This puts it nearly than 1,100 miles from Australia.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the quake, though barely 2.9 miles (4.6 kilometers) deep, was not expected to trigger a destructive wave. There was no tsunami warning immediately issued for the U.S., according to the West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center.[source]