6.8 magnitude undersea earthquake in Scotia Sea

A strong 6.8 magnitude undersea earthquake struck in the Scotia Sea, between the furthest tip of South America and Antarctica, US monitors said late Friday.

There is a low likelihood that the quake, which struck at 0334 GMT Saturday, will cause casualties or damage because of its remote location, said the US Geological Survey, which monitors earthquakes worldwide.

The quake was centered 917 kilometres southwest of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, 1,158 kilometers south-southeast of the Stanley, the capital of the Falklands Islands, and 1,397 kilometres southeast of Ushuaia, Argentina.

The epicentre was at a depth of nine kilometres, the USGS said.

The Pacific Tsunami Center issued a bulletin stating that there was no threat of a destructive tsunami based on historical data.

However, "there is a small possibility of a local or regional tsunami that could affect coasts located usually no more than a few hundred kilometers from the earthquake epicentre," the bulletin read.