8.0 Pacific Quake Generates Tsunami

A magnitude 8.0 quake in the South Pacific generated a tsunami on Wednesday, February 6, 2013.

8.0 Pacific Quake Generates Tsunami

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the 90-cm (3-foot) tsunami was measured at Lata wharf in the Solomons.

"Sea level readings indicate a tsunami was generated," PTWC said. "It may have been destructive along coasts near the earthquake epicentre and could also be a threat to more distant coasts."

No tsunami damage was immediately reported.

The powerful quake, which was 28.7 km deep, struck at 1:12 UTC and centered at Lata, Solomon Islands.

The temblor prompted the Hawaii-based center to issue a tsunami warning for the Solomons, Vanuatu, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Tuvalu, New Caledonia, Kosrae, Fiji, Kiribati, Wallis and Futuna. A tsunami watch was in effect for American Samoa, Australia, New Zealand and eastern Indonesia.

The Solomon Islands are part of the "Pacific Ring of Fire," where continental plates collide, causing frequent earthquakes. In 2007, a tsunami followed an 8.1-magnitude quake, killing at least 52 people in the Solomons and leaving thousands homeless.