A strong 6.6-magnitude earthquake Monday struck the Santa Cruz islands, part of the Pacific's Solomons group, the USGS said, but there was no threat of a widespread tsunami, according to officials.
The quake hit at a depth of 38 kilometres (23 miles) at about 3:00 pm (0400 GMT) some 350 kilometres (220 miles) east of Kirakira, the main city of the Solomons' major island, Makira.
The Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said there was 'no destructive widespread tsunami threat' based on historical data.
"However, earthquakes of this size sometimes generate local tsunamis that can be destructive along coasts located within a hundred kilometers of the earthquake epicentre," it added.
"Authorities in the region of the epicentre should be aware of this possibility and take appropriate action."