"A tsunami threat exists for parts of the Pacific located close to the earthquake," the U.S. Geological Survey warned.
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A massive 7.5 earthquake struck Papua New Guinea on Tuesday, potentially triggering a tsunami warning that could go as far east as Hawaii.
The quake struck locally at about 10:58 p.m., which is 8:58 a.m. ET, according to the United States Geological Survey.
"A tsunami threat exists for parts of the Pacific located close to the earthquake," according to a USGS statement. "But it is still too early to determine whether there is a possible tsunami threat to Hawaii."
If there were to be a threat to Hawaii, which is about the 3,800 miles east, the earliest time for any impact to reach the islands would be at 11:22 a.m. local time, or 5:22 p.m. ET, the geological survey said.
The quake was centered about 28 miles northeast of the city of Kokopo and struck at a relatively shallow depth of 6 miles.
While shallow quakes tend to cause more damage on the surface, the USGS estimated that damage and injuries could be lower because of the region's relatively sparse population.
Papua New Guinea is off the northeast coast of Australia and sits on the Pacific's "ring of fire," an arc of seismic faults around the ocean where many quakes and volcanic activity take place.