Drake Passage Latest News
Recently, a strong earthquake of magnitude 7.5 hit Drake Passage and a tsunami alert was issued briefly.
About Drake Passage
- It is located between South America's Cape Horn and the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica.
- The passage is named after Sir Francis Drake, who was the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe.
- It is a deep and wide waterway that connects the southwestern Atlantic and southeastern Pacific Oceans.
- It is considered one of the roughest waterways in the world because here, layers of cold seawater from the south and warm seawater from the north collide to form powerful eddies, which when combined with strong winds and storms can be treacherous for those attempting to navigate it.
- It is also the narrowest stretch in the Southern Ocean and spans approximately 800 km between the southern tip of South America and the northern tip of the West Antarctic Peninsula
- The Drake Passage defines the zone of climatic transition separating the cool, humid, subpolar conditions of Tierra del Fuego and the frigid, polar regions of Antarctica.
- The winds over the Drake Passage are predominantly from the west and are most intense to the north around Cape Horn.
- The Drake Passage played an important part in the trade of the 19th and early 20th centuries before the opening of the Panama Canal.
Source: HT
Drake Passage FAQs
Q1: Why is the Drake Passage so rough?
Ans: This is due to strong currents caused by the lack of nearby land, as well as the strength and structure of waves which can occur – particularly in stormy seasons.
Q2: What is the Drake Passage?
Ans: The Drake Passage defines the zone of climatic transition separating the cool, humid, subpolar conditions of Tierra del Fuego and the frigid, polar regions of Antarctica.
