Drake Passage
Proper noun
Meaning
Drake Passage
(geography) The body of water between South America's Cape Horn and the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica. It connects the southwestern part of the Atlantic Ocean with the southeastern part of the Pacific Ocean.
Examples
Across the convert wide Drake Passage lie the mountains of the Antarctic Peninsula south of the Scotia Plate which appear to be a continuation of the Andes chain.
South Ocean deep water The chilling of the South Ocean deep water began in earnest once the Tasmanian Gateway and the Drake Passage opened fully.
This water mass flows along the shelfbreak of the western Antarctic Peninsula and thus marks the most southerly water flowing through Drake Passage and therefore circumpolar.
Stemming from the issue of when the opening of the Drake Passage took place, is the dispute over how great of an influence the opening of the Drake Passage had on the global climate.
The onset of Antarctic glaciation occurred during the early Oligocene, and the effect of the Drake Passage opening on this glaciation has been the subject of much research.
The study concludes that the Drake Passage would be free to allow significant deep water flow by around 31 Ma.