The US Tsunami Warning System issued the threat for nearby regions after the earthquake, which struck early on Sunday.

A warning alerts the public that widespread flooding is imminent, expected or occurring as a result of a tsunami. Flooding may also continue for hours after its arrival.

The "notable quake" was initially read at a 7.4 magnitude, but this was revised to 7.2 by the USGS.

This is still defined as "strong" on the survey's scale.

The initial depth of 9.3km (5.78 miles) was also revised to 32.6 km (20.3 miles) a short time later.

The geological survey said that little to no population was exposed to the quake.

And at around 10am BST the alert was cancelled.

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The Alaska Earthquake Centre said the event was felt widely throughout the Aleutian Islands - an area furthest from the mainland - the Alaskan Peninsula, and Cook Inlet regions.

The tsunami warning was changed to an advisory - which specifies that strong currents or dangerous waves are expected, imminent or occurring - just after 9am GMT.

The Alaskan Peninsula extends 885km (550 miles) into the Pacific Ocean and earthquakes are relatively common in the area.

The USGS recorded a 5.2 magnitude earthquake around three minutes after the 7.2 quake, in the same area on Sunday morning.

A further 3.5 magnitude quake was recorded in the peninsula at 8.30am GMT.

Despite the frequency of earthquakes, only those measured above a magnitude of four or five tend to cause damage, according to the USGS.