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Earthquake of magnitude 7.5 strikes Drake Passage, USGS says

Aug 21 (Reuters) - A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck the Drake Passage on Thursday, a body of water located between the southern tip of South America and Antarctica, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said.
Science on Another Planet epa08381178 (14/49) Chilean glaciologists Gino Casassa and Dominique Casassa look at a tabular iceberg on the Drake passage, in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica, 10 March 2020. Every year the Chilean Antarctic Institute (INACH) organizes an Antarctic Scientific Expedition (ECA) to the White Continent in its 56th edition 49 projects carried out fieldwork, with over 500 people, ranging from logistics to national and international scientists being part of it. By late March four different projects were closing the campaign at INACH's main scientific base, Professor Julio Escudero, at the most northern tip of the Chilean Antarctic Territory. Two investigations covered the ecophysiology of lichen and the coupling of Antarctic fish species to a rapidly changing environment. The footprint of human presence in the region and melting glaciers concerning climate change were the other two research themes. Antarctic Science, in all its different fields, remains fundamental to understand the impact of climate change and can provide information and strategies to society to face future developments. EPA/FELIPE TRUEBA ATTENTION: For the full PHOTO ESSAY text please see Advisory Notice epa08381164

The quake was at a depth of 10 km (6.21 miles) the USGS said.

(Reporting by Harshita Meenaktshi in Bengaluru; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)

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