Powerful undersea earthquake shakes central Indonesia; no tsunami threat

JAKARTA, Indonesia – A powerful undersea earthquake shook parts of south-central Indonesia on Friday, but no tsunami was expected because of its depth.

The U.S. Geological Service said the temblor had a preliminary magnitude of 7.0 and hit in the Flores Sea, about 113 kilometers (70 miles) north of Nebe. It said it was centered at a depth of 547 kilometers (342 miles).

Officials said there was little chance of major damage or a destructive tsunami. Shallower quakes generally cause more shaking of the Earth's surface and greater damage.

Indonesia is in the Ring of Fire, the seismic faults surrounding the Pacific Ocean, and has frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity.