7.1-magnitude quake reported off Indonesia, but no tsunami

A 7.1-magnitude earthquake has been reported off the coast of Indonesia.

The US Geological Survey says the quake struck offshore Tuesday morning, with the epicenter 147 miles  northwest of the city of Saumlaki. The quake was reported at a depth of 96 miles.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said it was not issuing a tsunami warning because the quake was too deep to trigger a tsunami in the Indian Ocean.

The quake hit at 1653 GMT (1:53 a.m. Tuesday local time).

Indonesia is located in the Pacific "Ring of Fire," where earthquakes and volcanic activity are common.

In April, a powerful, 8.6 earthquake and aftershock struck the Indian Ocean off of northern Indonesia, triggering tsunami watches and evacuations throughout the Indian Ocean basin, from Australia to Kenya and raising memories of the disastrous December 2004 earthquake and subsequent tsunami. 

Another Ring of Fire country, Japan, weathered a strong earthquake Friday. It struck the same Japanese coast devastated by last year's massive quake and tsunami, generating small waves but no immediate reports of heavy damage. Several people along the northeastern coast were reportedly injured and buildings in Tokyo and elsewhere swayed for several minutes.

The earthquake had a preliminary magnitude of 7.3 and struck in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Miyagi prefecture at 5:18 p.m. (0818 GMT), the Japan Meteorological Agency said. The epicenter was 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) beneath the seabed and 240 kilometers (150 miles) offshore.

The area was shaken by repeated, smaller aftershocks, the agency said. (Read more about how the Fukushima disaster affected the fishing industry)

For thousands of people living in the region of Japan devastated by last year’s triple disaster, Friday’s earthquake served as a reminder of the country's vulnerability to sudden, violent seismic shifts – and as a warning. (Read the Monitor's report on how Japan viewed the last earthquake there).