An earthquake of Richter magnitude 6.3 yesterday struck the southern coast of Argentina, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). Fortunately, there have been no reports of injuries or damage.
As the world witnesses horrific images of the devastation caused by Haiti’s recent 7.3-magnitude earthquake, it was a great relief that the sea remained calm at South America’s southern tip, and no tsunami warnings were issued.
The USGS says that the quake hit at 8am (1200 GMT), Sunday in Drake Passage, about 354 kilometres southeast of Ushuaia, in the province of Tierra del Fuego, at a depth of 21 kilometres. According to Argentine officials, the earthquake was not felt in Ushuaia – the country’s southernmost city – nor were there effects in any part of the Tierra del Fuego province.
Chilean seismologists also said the earthquake had no impact in Puerto Williams, a Chilean outpost across the Beagle Channel from Ushuaia.