Tsunami warnings canceled after 7.8 quake in South Pacific

Tsunami warnings for several South Pacific islands, including those in Hawaii, were canceled early Friday after authorities determined that a powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck near the Solomon Islands did not pose a broad tsunami threat.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said waves of up to 10 feet were still possible along the coast of the Solomon Islands and smaller tsunami waves could hit Papua New Guinea, which lie west of the international date line.

There were reports of some power outages in the Solomon Islands, although there were no immediate reports of widespread damage or injuries from the quake.

The quake, originally reported as a magnitude 7.7, was centered about 120 miles southeast of Honiara, the capital of the Solomon Islands. The epicenter was relatively deep at 30 miles below the surface. Deeper quakes generally cause less damage on the ground.

The Solomon Islands are located in the Pacific’s geologically active “Ring of Fire.”

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UPDATES:

12:10 p.m.: This article has been updated with news of tsunami warnings being canceled.

10:34 a.m.: This article has been updated with a revised magnitude of 7.8 from the USGS and reporting about a possible tsunami threat to Hawaii.

This article was originally published at 10:20 a.m.