Strong quake hits South Pacific
(CNN) -- A 6.7 magnitude earthquake struck Monday southeast of the Loyalty Islands in the South Pacific, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
There were no tsunami warnings, according to the Tsunami Warning Center.
The quake, shortly after 1 p.m. ET, was centered about 180 miles (290 kilometers) from the closest island and about 1,000 miles (1,700 km) from Auckland, New Zealand, the USGS said.
The Tsunami Warning Center wrote in a bulletin that it had determined, based on earthquake and historical tsunami data, that a destructive tsunami was not generated.
The Encyclopedia Britannica says the Loyalty Islands are a "limestone coral group in the French overseas territory of New Caledonia, southwestern Pacific Ocean.
Comprising the islands of Ouvéa, Lifou, and Maré, the group has a total area of 761 square miles (1,970 square km) and nowhere rises higher than 300 feet (90 meters)."
