The US Geological Survey says a 6.4-magnitude earthquake rocked near Vanuatu.
It said the quake, centred 86 kilometres southwest of Vanuatu and 177 kilometres northeast of the Loyalty Islands in the French territory of New Caledonia, was early this morning.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre says there was no threat of a tsunami.
However, it did say that "earthquakes of this size sometimes generate local tsunamis that can be destructive along coasts located within a hundred kilometres of the earthquake epicentre.
There was no immediate report of damage.
An 8.0-magnitude earthquake in the nearby Solomon Islands in April 2007 triggered a tsunami that killed more than 50 people and displaced thousands.
