An earthquake struck the Aleutian Islands in the far northwestern U.S. state of Alaska Friday, prompting a tsunami warning for the remote region that was later canceled.

The U.S. Geological Survey says the earthquake occurred in the Pacific Ocean early Friday at a depth of about 35 kilometers. The agency initially recorded the quake's magnitude at 7.1, but later downgraded it to 6.8.

The epicenter was some 1,600 kilometers from the state's largest city, Anchorage.

The tsunami warning was in effect briefly for coastal areas of the Aleutian Islands, from Unimak Pass to Amchitka Pass.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said it did not see a threat of a widespread destructive tsunami from the quake.