A moderate earthquake struck at 9:45 a.m. this morning off the Hamakua Coast of the Big Island, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said in a news release.

The quake, which was assigned a preliminary magnitude of 5.2, did not generate a tsunami.

The United States Geological Survey Earthquake Center assigned a much lower magnitude of 4.0 to the quake, which it said occurred about 10 miles out to sea north-northeast of Laupahoehoe.

The quake was centered at a dpth of 6.5 miles, the USGS said.

Big Island civil defense officials said they have received no reports of damage or and have not been asked to respond to any situations.

A 6.6 magnitude earthquake and a 6.0 aftershock caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage on the Big Island in October 2006, but did not generate a tsunami.