Wellington: A 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck a remote part of the Pacific on Monday, but a tsunami did not appear to be generated. The quake occurred near the Kermadec Islands at a depth of 49 kilometers (30 mi), about 900 kilometers (560 mi) northeast of New Zealand’s North Island, according to the US Geological Survey. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the quake posed no threat to Hawaii and the wider Pacific. A localized tsunami threat passed without any confirmed effects.
New Zealand’s National Emergency Management Agency said it was assessing whether the quake could affect New Zealand, but gave its standard advice for people to move away from coastal areas if they felt a prolonged or strong quake. We do.
The Kermadec Islands are uninhabited except for Raoul Island where New Zealand scientists occasionally stop to make meteorological observations or carry out weed control work. The islands are the site of frequent major earthquakes. They were geologically formed from a ridge that was raised by the ongoing collision between the Pacific and Australian tectonic plates.