Powerful Magnitude 7.5 Earthquake Strikes The South Atlantic Ocean Near Argentina, Prompting Urgent Tsunami Advisory For Antarctica

Published on August 22, 2025

A powerful magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck nan South Atlantic Ocean adjacent Argentina, triggering an urgent tsunami advisory for parts of Antarctica. The seismic event, which occurred successful nan Drake Passage, a region known for its geological activity, prompted contiguous warnings owed to nan imaginable consequence of tsunami waves impacting adjacent areas.

Powerful Earthquake Strikes nan South Atlantic Ocean, Prompting Tsunami Advisory for Antarctica

On Thursday evening, a powerful earthquake pinch a preliminary magnitude of 7.5 struck nan South Atlantic Ocean, mounting disconnected siren bells crossed nan region. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) initially reported nan magnitude arsenic 8.0, but later revised it to 7.5. The quake occurred astatine 11:16 p.m. section time, astir 710 kilometers (441 miles) southeast of Ushuaia, Argentina, successful nan Drake Passage, an area lying betwixt South America’s confederate extremity and nan Antarctic Peninsula.

The earthquake’s epicenter, located astatine a extent of 10.8 kilometers (6.7 miles), created a seismic arena that sent shockwaves done nan region. Although nan Drake Passage is not known for predominant seismic activity, it is situated wrong an area that is portion of nan highly progressive seismic area surrounding nan Pacific Ocean. In nan aftermath of nan quake, Chilean authorities promptly issued a tsunami advisory for definite parts of Antarctica. However, location were nary removal orders issued for Chile aliases Argentina, nan closest countries to nan epicenter.

While nan region’s remoteness made contiguous harm reports difficult to obtain, nary casualties were reported, and nan grade of demolition remained unclear astatine nan time. The location of nan quake, acold from densely populated areas, apt constricted its contiguous impact. Despite this, nan earthquake serves arsenic a stark reminder of nan seismic hazards that beryllium successful nan region.

The Threat of Tsunamis successful nan Atlantic Ocean

Although tsunamis are not a predominant occurrence successful nan South Atlantic, their imaginable to origin wide demolition remains a superior concern. Historically, nan Atlantic Ocean has knowledgeable immoderate important tsunami events, including a deadly incident successful 1929 erstwhile a magnitude 7.2 earthquake triggered a deadly tsunami disconnected nan seashore of Newfoundland, Canada. That arena led to an underwater landslide, which sent a monolithic activity into nan Burin Peninsula, claiming nan lives of complete 20 people.

The threat of tsunamis is astir often associated pinch subduction area earthquakes, wherever monolithic shifts successful tectonic plates displace ample amounts of water, generating waves that tin recreation thousands of kilometers crossed nan ocean. While subduction area earthquakes are much communal successful nan Pacific and Indian Oceans, nan Atlantic has besides seen awesome events tin of producing destructive tsunamis.

The 1929 Newfoundland tsunami is 1 illustration of really nan Atlantic tin acquisition nan devastating effects of seismic activity. Similarly, nan 1755 Lisbon earthquake, which was 1 of nan deadliest successful European history, produced a monolithic tsunami that dispersed crossed nan Iberian Peninsula, Azores Islands, North Africa, and reached arsenic acold arsenic nan Caribbean, Bermuda, and Newfoundland.

The Risk of Underwater Landslides

Recent studies propose that underwater landslides airs nan top consequence for generating tsunamis successful nan Atlantic. These landslides tin trigger localized tsunamis, but successful immoderate cases, large-scale events tin nutrient basin-wide hazards. Key areas wherever underwater landslides could make tsunamis see nan continental slopes disconnected nan eastbound U.S. and Canada, nan Puerto Rican Trench, and nan Storegga Slides disconnected Norway’s coast.

These events, though rare, person nan imaginable to create ample waves that could impact coastal communities thousands of miles distant from their origin. The geological features of these areas propose that they could enactment arsenic sources for important underwater landslides, which could successful move consequence successful destructive tsunamis.

The Canary Islands: A Potential Tsunami Risk

Another imaginable tsunami consequence successful nan Atlantic is linked to volcanic activity successful nan Canary Islands, specifically nan anticipation of a catastrophic illness of nan occidental flank of nan La Palma volcano. If specified an arena were to occur, it could trigger a tsunami pinch waves ranging from 1 to 3 meters, which could effect nan U.S. East Coast. Although this script is considered unlikely, its imaginable consequences item nan request for preparedness successful nan region.

While nan Atlantic Ocean is little prone to nan “megathrust” earthquakes typically seen successful regions for illustration Japan aliases Indonesia, powerful seismic events successful nan region tin still lead to important hazards. In nan arena of a repetition of nan 1755 Lisbon earthquake, for example, tsunami waves of up to 3 meters could effect nan coastline of Atlantic Canada, a reminder of nan region’s vulnerability to seismic activity.

A Growing Focus connected Seismic Awareness

As technological investigation and knowing of seismic hazards successful nan Atlantic Ocean proceed to evolve, it becomes progressively clear that regions for illustration nan Drake Passage, nan continental slopes, and areas astir nan Canary Islands request to beryllium intimately monitored. While nan contiguous effect of nan caller 7.5 magnitude earthquake appears to beryllium limited, nan imaginable for larger seismic events successful nan early cannot beryllium ignored.

A powerful magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck nan South Atlantic Ocean adjacent Argentina, sending shockwaves done nan region. Occurring successful nan seismically progressive Drake Passage, nan earthquake prompted an urgent tsunami advisory for parts of Antarctica. Authorities quickly issued warnings, urging be aware successful nan aftermath of nan seismic event.

The tsunami advisory issued for Antarctica successful nan aftermath of nan quake is simply a stark reminder that tsunamis are a genuine threat successful nan South Atlantic and could effect countries on nan coastlines of South America, North America, and moreover parts of Europe and Africa. Local authorities and world agencies must proceed to measure seismic risks and hole for nan anticipation of early events that could disrupt nan region and nan surrounding coastal communities.