Magnitude 7.5 earthquake strikes Drake Passage; no tsunami threat issued

A strong earthquake with a revised magnitude of 7.5 struck the Drake Passage on Thursday, shaking the remote region between South America and Antarctica but posing no widespread tsunami threat, according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.

Initially reported as an 8.0 magnitude event, the US Geological Survey (USGS) later downgraded the quake and confirmed it occurred at a shallow depth of 11 kilometers (7 miles). The epicenter was located over 700 kilometers (435 miles) southeast of Ushuaia, Argentina — the southernmost city in the country with a population of approximately 57,000.

The quake struck at 4:16 PM HST on August 21 (07:46 AM IST on August 22).

While the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center briefly issued a warning for parts of the Chilean coast, it later confirmed there was no tsunami threat to Hawaii or other distant areas.

EQ of M: 7.4, On: 22/08/2025 07:46:22 IST, Lat: 60.26 S, Long: 61.85 W, Depth: 36 Km, Location: Drake Passage.
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— National Center for Seismology (@NCS_Earthquake) August 22, 2025

Chile’s Navy Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service also issued a tsunami alert for its Antarctic territory after the quake, noting the epicenter was about 258 kilometers (160 miles) northwest of the Chilean Base Frei research station.

There have been no reports of damage or casualties, largely due to the remote nature of the area.