Magnitude 7.5 Earthquake Strikes Drake Passage, Chile Issues Tsunami Alert

A strong earthquake struck the Drake Passage on Thursday, with the US Geological Survey (USGS) revising its initial estimate from magnitude 8.0 to 7.5.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center briefly issued an alert for parts of Chile, warning of possible hazardous waves within three hours, but no widespread tsunami warning was issued. Chile’s Navy also urged caution for the country’s Antarctic territory.

The quake struck at a depth of 10.8 km, according to USGS data, though other monitoring agencies measured magnitudes ranging from 7.1 to 7.4.

The Drake Passage, between Cape Horn and the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica, links the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and is one of the world’s most seismically active regions.