A tsunami watch was in effect for Indonesia after a 7.7-magnitude earthquake rattled the nation early Wednesday, according to geological officials.The temblor struck 125 miles from Sibolga, situated on Indonesia's Sumatra island, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. The quake hit at a depth of 19.3 miles at 5:15 a.m. (6:15 p.m. ET, Tuesday) USGS said.
There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
A destructive, widespread tsunami is not expected, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said, but a local tsunami could affect coastal areas within 62 miles (100 kilometers) of the quake's epicenter.
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Scientists said they do not expect the tsunami to affect the West Coast of North America.
Scientists are monitoring data from ocean buoys to determine whether the earthquake already generated apower leveling
tsunami, said geophysicist Gerard Fryer of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.
If a tsunami does erupt from the quake, which occurred in shallow waters, Fryer said, it would be very small and not move much water.
A 9.1-magnitude underwater earthquake struck off the coast of Sumatra in 2004, triggering a tsunami that killed more than 200,000 people in 14 countries.
The 2004 tsunami, which washed away entire communities, caused nearly $10 billion in damage and more casualties than any other tsunami in history, according to the United Nations. Indonesia was amongaika gold the hardest-hit nations.
Indonesia is on the Ring of Fire, an arc of fault lines circling the Pacific Basin that is prone to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.