7.4-magnitude earthquake in the Drake Passage, prompting regional tsunami warnings
- Dogeon Lim
- Aug 31
- 1 min read
Aug 31, 2025
Dogeon Lim
A strong earthquake struck the Drake Passage region on August 22, 2025. According to the US Geological Surveys (USGS), it measures the intensity of the quake from magnitude 8-7.5.
It was recorded at 7:46 AM IST at a depth of 36 km (coordinates 60.26° S, 61.85° W), and the tremor promptly raised alarms to scientists and maritime authorities. While the US tsunami warning system didn’t give any alert after the Drake Passage earthquake. Fortunately, the Pacific Tsunami Warning center (PTWC) briefly issued a caution for Chile, saying that hazardous tsunamis caused by the earthquake in the Drake Passage are likely to happen in the next three hours along some Chilean coasts.
The Drake Passage is located between South America's Cape Horn and the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica. It is a deep and wide waterway that connects the southwestern Atlantic and southeastern Pacific ocean.
The Drake Passage is more than a dangerous shipping path. It is an essential cog in global ocean circulation and climate regulation. If some seismic activity happens here, it could affect ocean currents, carbon absorption, and even Antarctic ice dynamics, which illustrates the passage has importance of strategic and environmental considerations.
