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(CNN Spanish) -
Experts identified more than 30,000 earthquakes in Antarctica during a period of three months.
This Tuesday, the National Seismological Center of the University of Chile reported that these events are only the most detectable, so they estimate that more detailed studies could yield an even higher number.
The experts described as "unusual" this seismic activity detected in the Bransfield Strait since the last days of August.
On the 29th of that month, a 4.9 magnitude earthquake was recorded (according to the United States Geological Survey, USGS), while a 5.4 event was detected a day later.
According to the National Seismological Center of the University of Chile, "both were warned by the staffing of the Presidente Frei Base, located on Isla Rey Jorge (South Shetland)."
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The statement from the National Seismological Center adds that “as of mid-November the USGS had reported slightly more than 100 earthquakes located in this area.
The largest earthquake in this period had a magnitude of 6.0, registered on November 6 ”.
Experts estimate that there were more than a thousand earthquakes a day in September, a trend that began to decline in November.
They explained that, among the reasons for this seismic sequence, is the complexity in the tectonics around the peninsula, since "there are various processes of convergence, divergence and lateral sliding of plate segments in a relatively small area."