A strong, deep earthquake struck the Molucca Sea near the equator at midday today.
The undersea quake, which struck at midday on Thursday the 11th of September 2008 New Zealand time, was reported as magnitude 6.6 by the U.S. Geological Survey. They have centred the quake at 120 km north of Ternate, Moluccas, Indonesia (290 km east of Manado, Sulawesi) at a depth of 93 km.
Geoscience Australia reports the quake at magnitude 6.7 at a depth of 100 km, estimating it would have caused damage up to 70 km from the epicentre and would have been felt up to 900 km away. This estimate indicates that damage may have occurred in north-western parts of the island of Halmahera.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre issued a bulletin at 12 minutes after midday New Zealand time reporting the quake at magnitude 6.7 at a depth of 108 km. They advised that, based on historical data, a destructive tsunami threat for the Pacific did not exist.
[Compiled from data supplied by the U.S. Geological Survey and its contributing agencies, the U.S. National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration’s Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre, and Geoscience Australia.]