DRAKE PASSAGE

Current Context : A 7.5 magnitude earthquake recently hit the Drake Passage, triggering a brief tsunami alert.

ABOUT DRAKE PASSAGE

• Location: Between Cape Horn (South America) and South Shetland Islands (Antarctica).
• Width: Narrowest stretch of the Southern Ocean, ~800 km
• Named After: Sir Francis Drake, first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe.
• Ocean Link: Connects Southwestern Atlantic Ocean with Southeastern Pacific Ocean.
• Climatic Role: Acts as a transition zone between subpolar Tierra del Fuego and polar Antarctica.
• Navigation: Known as one of the roughest waterways in the world due to collision of cold and warm seawater, eddies, storms, and strong winds.

History: Important for 19th–20th century trade routes, until Panama Canal reduced dependency.