7.7 Magnitude Earthquake Triggers Tsunami Alert in South Pacific

A 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck beneath the Pacific Ocean southeast of New Caledonia, prompting tsunami warnings across the Pacific. The tsunami threat has passed for Vanuatu and New Caledonia, but New Zealand warned of dangerous currents and coastal surges. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said waves of less than half a metre were measured off Lenakel, a port town in Vanuatu, and smaller waves were measured elsewhere off Vanuatu and off New Caledonia. The area is part of the "Ring of Fire," an arc of seismic faults around the Pacific Ocean where most of the world's earthquakes occur.