Drake Passage Earthquake: Where is The Area Located and What You Need to Know

The Drake Passage is named after a 16th century English explorer and privateer known as Sir Francis Drake. It is a stretch of water between Tierra del Fuego islands which are shared between Chile and Argentina, and Cape Horn at the southern point of South America. The interesting part about it is that it connects the southwestern part of the Atlantic Ocean with southeastern part of Pacific Ocean and links with the Southern Ocean.

Drake Passage: Meeting of Seas

Did you know that this passage is known as the “most powerful meeting of seas.” This Passage also holds the reputation of being the most dangerous sea routes for ships as the Antarctic Circumpolar Current flows through it without any land to slow its speed, with waves reaching around 40 feet (12 meters) high.

With it being the narrowest route around Antarctica, the movement of water around the continent, global ocean currents, and in some cases, the world’s climate is affected by the Drake Passage. Some sections of the passage are known as the Southern Zone Sea, and its seabed helps mix ocean waters around the world.

Drake Passage Average Depth: 11,000 feet

Reports suggest its volatile waters and regular storms make the passage a critical climate zone and bifurcates the wet and cool weather of Tierra del Fuego from cold and harsh conditions of Antarctica. Its average depth is reported to be around 11,000 feet (3,400 meters), and some areas close to the edges can go as low as 15,600 feet (4,800 meters).

Many experts note that earthquakes are a regular phenomenon in the region because the tectonic plates of Nazca, South America, and Antarctica collide with each other every now and then. The Shackleton Fracture Zone is a major fault line and forms the area where these tectonic plates brush past each other, resulting in regular occurrence of earthquakes.

Also Read: Drake Passage 7.5 Magnitude Earthquake: Is There A Tsunami Warning You Should Know About?