A 7.5 magnitude earthquake was recorded in the Drake Passage on August 22 (NZ time). Photo: Screengrab / USGS
National Emergency Service says there is no tsunami threat to New Zealand after a magnitude 7.5 earthquake that hit the Drake Passage.
The Drake Passage is a body of water located between the southern tip of South America and Antarctica. It is located around 7645 km from New Zealand.
New Zealand's National Emergency Management Agency said it was a magnitude 8 earthquake which hit at 2.16pm on Friday New Zealand time in the Drake Passage at a depth of 10km. The United States Geological Survey initially reported the quake at magnitude 8, but later downgraded it to 7.5.
After assessing it, NEMA said there was no tsunami threat to New Zealand.
USGS map showing the distance of the Drake Passage earthquake from New Zealand. Photo: Screengrab / USGS
Last month, an 8.8 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Russia triggered tsunami waves on multiple country's shores - including New Zealand, several Pacific nations, the US and Canadian coasts, and parts of South America.
That quake was tied for the sixth-strongest ever recorded, and the strongest since 2011, when a 9.0 magnitude earthquake hit northeast Japan, triggering a devastating tsunami.
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