Tsunami ‘threat’ after 7.9 magnitude quake hits off Papua New Guinea

A powerful earthquake, initially measured at magnitude 8.0, has hit east of Papua New Guinea, according to the US Geological Survey. The tremor prompted New Zealand’s Civil Defense to issue a tsunami warning, which was soon canceled. The quake initially struck about 157 kilometers east of the port of Rabaul, Papua New Guinea, on Saturday at a depth of 103 km and was measured at magnitude 8.0, according to the USGS. It was then re-scaled to magnitude 7.9. -- More...