Powerful Earthquake Hits in Papua New Guinea, Triggers Tsunami Alert - The Weather Channel

• A strong earthquake in Papua New Guinea triggers a tsunami warning there and for the Solomon Islands.
• There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

A magnitude 7.5 earthquake has struck Papua New Guinea, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

A​ tsunami alert was issued for Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.

Tsunami waves between 1 to 3 feet are possible for some coasts of Papua New Guinea. Waves up to 1 foot are possible for Guam, Indonesia, Japan, the Marshall Islands, New Caledonia, Palau, the Philippines, Pohnpei and the Solomon Islands.

The epicenter of the quake was about 28 miles northeast of Kokopo, in New Britain province. The city is on a smaller island northeast of the main island and about 495 from the the capital of Port Moresby.

Papua New Guinea sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," named for its active volcanoes and earthquakes. About 90 percent of Earth's quakes happen along this 25,000-mile horseshoe that loops from South America to Europe and back down to the coast off Australia.

A magnitude 7. 2 quake struck the country's main island on May 7, but no injuries or damage were reported.

In the past century, 36 earthquakes of magnitude 7.0 or larger have been reported within 150 miles of the epicenter of today's quake. Three of those were magnitude 8.0 or larger, including one in November 2000 that triggered landslides and at least one death, and left thousands homeless.

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https://weather.com/news/news/2019-05-14-earthquake-papua-new-guinea

2019-05-14 14:27:58Z
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