Two major earthquakes struck an hour and 10 minutes apart Thursday morning near the Solomon Islands in the Pacific Ocean, prompting a tsunami warning that was quickly lifted, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
The first quake, with a magnitude of 7.8, struck at 9:03 a.m. (6:03 p.m. ET) at a depth of 35 km (22 miles) and an epicenter 295 km (180 miles) north-northwest of Luganville, Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu.
The second quake, with a magnitude of 7.1, struck at 10:13 a.m. (7:13 p.m. ET) at about the same depth and an epicenter of 280 km (175 miles) north-northwest of Luganville, Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu.
A third earthquake, with a moderate magnitude of 5.7, struck 35 minutes after the second in about the same location, the USGS said.