Feb. 8 (Bloomberg) -- The northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge was hit by a magnitude-6.8 earthquake, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

The earthquake struck the underwater ridge today at 4:38 a.m. New York time, about 1,316 kilometers (818 miles) east- northeast of Cayenne, the capital of French Guiana, and 1,530 kilometers north-northeast of Belem, Brazil, the USGS said in an e-mailed statement.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the earthquake wouldn't generate a destructive widespread tsunami, though there was a small possibility of local tsunamis affecting coastal areas.

To contact the reporter on this story: Alex Morales in London at amorales2@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: February 8, 2008 05:26 EST