Magnitude 6.9 earthquake strikes remote area in South Pacific; no tsunami threat

A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck a remote part of the South Pacific Ocean, according to seismologists. No tsunami warnings were issued.

The earthquake occurred at 6 p.m. ET on Monday and was centered in the Macquarie Island region, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). It struck at a depth of 19 miles (31 km).

The epicenter was located in a remote area between Australia, New Zealand, and Antarctica. The nearest settlement was approximately 892 miles (1,436 kilometers) south of Bluff, in New Zealand’s Southland region.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) confirmed that no tsunami warnings or advisories were issued, as the earthquake did not meet the criteria for a tsunami threat.

The Macquarie Island region is part of a complex tectonic boundary where the Australian and Pacific Plates interact. It is known for frequent moderate to strong earthquakes, including several magnitude 6.5+ events in recent decades.

The earthquake struck just hours after a magnitude 6.5 quake near India’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands, but seismologists said the two events are not related.