Earthquake Hits Near Vanuatu

An earthquake has struck near the island nation of Vanuatu. The preliminary magnitude was 6.9, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. No tsunami is expected to be produced by the temblor. Details from the USGS:

Date-Time:

Thursday, February 02, 2012 at 13:34:38 UTC

Friday, February 03, 2012 at 12:34:38 AM at epicenter

Location: 17.810°S, 167.149°E

Depth: 10.1 km (6.3 miles)

Distances from epicenter:

124 km (77 miles) W of PORT-VILA, Efate, Vanuatu

251 km (155 miles) S of Luganville, Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu

294 km (182 miles) NW of Isangel, Tanna, Vanuatu

1803 km (1120 miles) ENE of BRISBANE, Queensland, Australia

This article will be updated if the event proves significant.