7.1 Magnitude Strikes New Zealand's Kermadec Island, Prompts Tsunami Warning

An earthquake of 7.1 magnitudes hit Kermadec Island north of New Zealand during the early hours of Thursday giving warnings of the Tsunami.

The United States Geological Survey estimated that the quake hit at a depth of 10 km, disgorging waves that could be measured within 300 kilometers from the epicenter.

Although the US Tsunami Warning System issued a tsunami warning for nearby places, New Zealand’s Bureau of Meteorology later cleared through its official Twitter handle that there was no such tsunami threat.

According to reports, the earthquake hit Kermadec Island, and prone to earthquakes. It is located on the boundary of the world's two major tectonic plates, namely, the Pacific and the Australian plates. These plates collide with huge force, causing one to slowly grind over, under and alongside the other.

Earlier, in February, a 6.1 magnitude earthquake jolted Wellington. At that time, the earthquake's epicenter was 50 km from the town of Paraparaumu.

Regular earthquakes are the result of a seismically active "Ring of Fire."

New Zealand lays a 40-000-km arc of volcanoes and ocean trenches girdling the Pacific Ocean. New Zealand observes thousands of earthquakes every year.

Also Read: 6.1 Magnitude Earthquake Jolts Cyclone-Hit New Zealand