Magnitude-7.8 quake shakes remote New Zealand islands

Posted 7m ago

NEW YORK (AP) — A powerful magnitude-7.8 earthquake rattled New Zealand's remote Kermadec Islands in the Pacific Ocean, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.

The Kermadec Islands are a remote outpost that are generally uninhabited aside from a weather station and a hostel for visiting New Zealand scientists.

The 7:03 a.m. Thursday quake was 29.8 miles deep, the USGS said. No tsunami alert was issued.

The Kermadecs are about 570 miles south of Tonga, the nearest major island.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2011 ... uake_n.htm