6.0-magnitude quake hits off Solomon Islands
14 Sep 2016 / 17:08 H.
A file photo shows a seismograph measuring earthquake activity; a 6.8-magnitude temblor struck off the Solomon Islands November 8, 2015. — AFP
SYDNEY: A 6.0-magnitude quake hit off the Solomon Islands on Wednesday, officials said, but Australian seismologists said it was unlikely to generate a tsunami.
The quake hit some 88km west of the capital Honiara at a depth of about 10km, the United States Geological Survey said.
Geoscience Australia estimated the quake at a much deeper 30km, but said it was of a 6.2 magnitude.
"It's too small to be tsunamigenic," Geoscience Australia's Phil Cummins told AFP, adding that it was not in an area where it was likely to cause significant damage.
The Solomon Islands experience frequent seismic activity due to collisions between continental plates. — AFP