An earthquake of magnitude 6.3 occurred on January 17, 2010 at 12:00:01 ( UTC ) in the Drake Strait , 351.7 km southeast of the nearest settlement of Ushuaia in southern Argentina [1] . The earthquake hypocenter was located at a depth of 5.0 kilometers [1] .
| Drake Strait Earthquake (2010) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| date of and time | 01/17/2010 12:00:01 ( UTC ) |
| Magnitude | 6.3 Mw [1] |
| Depth hypocenter | 5.0 km [1] |
| Location epicenter | |
| Affected countries (regions) |  Argentina Chile |
| Tsunami | no |
| Injured | no |
| Economic damage | no |
| Aftershocks | no |
Content
- 1 Tectonic conditions of the region
- 2 Consequences
- 3 notes
- 4 Literature
Tectonic conditions of the region
In the modern structure of the bottom of Western Antarctica , rift zones are clearly distinguished, which form entire systems associated with the rise of mantle material in the zones of extension of lithospheric plates. Within the continental part of West Antarctica, manifestations of continental riftogenesis are noted - along the South Skosh ridge and the Bransfield Strait , which are associated with the introduction of a series of mantle diapirs . Riftogenic structures are present in the Drake Channel and in adjacent areas of the ocean bed. Their weak seismic activity indicates that either the development of these rift zones was completed, or, having begun recently, it (for some reason) was suspended [2] .
The tectonic evolution of the South Atlantic, the Drake Strait, and the adjacent Pacific sector was determined by the interaction of the South American and Antarctic Plates . Disclosure of the Drake Strait occurred at the end of the Oligocene - the beginning of the Pliocene , during the formation of the tectonic structure of the Skosh arc. The latter was formed as a result of the spreading of the seabed, which led to the formation of a new oceanic crust between the Skosh plate and the Sandwich plate. The continental crust, which connects South America and the Antarctic Peninsula, is currently divided into a large number of individual blocks (fragments), which are distributed around the Skosh arc [2] .
The Skosh plate, which has a complex internal structure, was originally formed as a result of spreading processes at several centers. Moreover, the spreading axes had a different orientation, and the cessation of activity dates back to about 9.5-5.0 million years ago. Among the main tectonic structures, the West Skosh ridge, located in the western part of the Skosha plate, as well as the Skosha-Sendviche axial spreading zone, which is currently the eastern boundary of the Skosha plate and where active tectonic processes are still taking place, stand out here. The southern boundary of the Skosh plate runs along the South Skosh ridge, and its western boundary is , a linear structure of the Northwest strike, which has a complex structure and is broken by numerous faults. The Shackleton fault zone is characterized by a positive relief relative to the surrounding areas and a deep occurrence of the crust – mantle boundary. The West Skosh Range in the area adjacent to the Shackleton Fault is characterized by an asymmetric relief. Owing to tectonic activation, the crust – mantle boundary also lies at relatively great depths [2] .
Consequences
An earthquake was felt in Punta Arenas ( Chile ) [3] . As a result of the earthquake, no information was received on victims and destruction [3] [4] .
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 “M 6.3 - Drake Passage” . earthquake.usgs.gov. Circulation date May 5, 2019.
- ↑ 1 2 3 Bakhmutov, 2006 .
- ↑ 1 2 “M 6.3 - Drake Passage” . earthquake.usgs.gov. Circulation date May 4, 2019.
- ↑ Strong earthquake to the south east of Ushuaia in the Drake passage . MercoPress Circulation date May 5, 2019.
Literature
- V. D. Soloviev, V. G. Bakhmutov, I. N. Korchagin, S. P. Levashov. Deep heterogeneous bottom structures of the central segment of the Shackleton fault zone (Drake Strait) according to geophysical research (Russian) . - 2010 .-- ISSN 1727-7485 .
- Teterin D.E. GEODYNAMIC EVOLUTION OF THE DRAKE STRAIGHT IN THE POSTMIOCENE TIME, WESTERN ANTARCTIC, SOUTH OCEAN // Physics of the Earth. - 2011. - Issue. 8 . - ISSN 0002-3337 .
- Bakhmutov V.G. Evolution and geodynamics of the main structures of Western Antarctica in the Meso-Cenozoic: modern concepts // Ukr. Antarctica. Journal .. - 2006. - No. 4-5 . - S. 52-63. . - ISSN 2415-3087 .