Environment
Videos showing the sea unusually receding in Argentina’s coastal city of Mar del Plata are going viral on social media.
Videos showing the sea unusually receding in Argentina’s coastal city of Mar del Plata are going viral on social media. The water receded so far that rocks and parts of the coastline that are normally underwater became visible. This led some posts to claim that “the sea in Argentina has dried up.”
According to fact-checking reports, the event shown in the videos is real, but the claim that the sea has dried up or permanently disappeared is false. Experts say the combined effects of strong winds, atmospheric pressure, and an exceptionally low tide temporarily pushed the water away from the shore.
This phenomenon is known as a “meteorological low tide” or “wind setdown.” Powerful winds blowing from the shore toward the sea can push surface water farther offshore, making the sea appear to have receded an unusual distance.
There is no evidence in the available information linking the event to a tsunami. A few hours later, the water returned toward its normal level. In short, the viral footage was real, but the claim that “the sea has disappeared from Argentina” is false. It was a temporary natural phenomenon caused by weather and tidal conditions.
