A magnitude 7.0 quake hit the Solomon Islands
© USGS
A powerful magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck near the Solomon Islands, with the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center saying that hazardous waves are possible for several islands in the region, including Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu.
The quake struck around 2am GMT on Tuesday some 56 kilometers (35 miles) southwest of the capital, Honiara, followed by a 6.0 aftershock roughly 30 minutes later, according to the United States Geological Survey.
The US Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a “hazardous tsunami waves” advisory of up to 1 meters above the tide level for the Solomons, and up to 30 centimeters for the coasts of Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu.
Solomon Islands sits on an earthquake prone zone of the Australian plate. It is one of the most seismically active areas of the world because of constant convergences between the Australian and Pacific plates.
