1868 Arica earthquake

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1868 Arica earthquake
Arequipa in Ruins, 1868 (14036420757) (cropped).jpg
Arequipa's damaged main square
Local date13 August 1868 (1868-08-13)
Local time16:45
Magnitude8.5–9.3 Mw (est.)
Epicenter 18°30′S71°00′W / 18.5°S 71.0°W / -18.5; -71.0 [1]
Areas affected Peru and northern Chile
Max. intensity XI (Extreme) [2]
Casualties25,000+
Arica after the earthquake and tsunami Arica after the earthquake (1868).JPG
Arica after the earthquake and tsunami
The USS Wateree beached at Arica, 430 yards (390 m) inland USS Wateree (1863).jpg
The USS Wateree beached at Arica, 430 yards (390 m) inland
Sketches of Arica after the earthquake and tsunami from the Illustrated London News Arica Peru 1868.jpg
Sketches of Arica after the earthquake and tsunami from the Illustrated London News

The 1868 Arica earthquake occurred on 13 August 1868, near Arica, then part of Peru, now part of Chile, at 21:30 UTC. It had an estimated magnitude between 8.5 and 9.3. A tsunami (or multiple tsunamis) in the Pacific Ocean was produced by the earthquake, which was recorded in Hawaii, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. [3] [4]

Contents

Tectonic setting

The earthquake occurred along the boundary between the Nazca Plate and the South American Plate. The earthquake was likely a result of thrust-faulting, caused by the subduction of the Nazca plate beneath the South American plate. [5]

The coasts of Peru and Chile have a history of great megathrust earthquakes originating from this plate boundary, such as the 1960 Valdivia earthquake and the 2010 Chile earthquake.

Damage

The earthquake caused almost complete destruction in the southern part of Peru, including Arica, Tacna, Moquegua, Mollendo, Ilo, Iquique, Torata and Arequipa, [3] [6] resulting in an estimated 25,000 casualties, [1] and many shipwrecks.

The tsunami drove three ships anchored in port nearly 800 m (2,600 ft) inland: the 1,560-ton Peruvian corvette America, the U.S. gunboat Wateree and the U.S. store ship Fredonia, which was completely destroyed. [3] [6] The brig Chañarcillo and two schooners, Rosa Rivera and Regalon, were also lost. [7] The port city of Pisco was razed. [8]

The tsunami caused considerable damage in Hawaii, washing out a bridge along the Waiohi River. In New Zealand, it is the only fatal tsunami on record, causing substantial damage on the Chatham Islands and an estimated 20 people washed out to sea. [9] [10] On the mainland, Banks Peninsula was hardest hit with a Maori village and two houses washed away and boats damaged, and one death was recorded. [3] [11]

Characteristics

Earthquake

Two separate earthquakes have been described; [2] they may both refer to the same event. [1]

The earthquake was felt over a wide area, up to 1,400 km (870 mi) to the northwest in Samanco, Peru and 224 km (139 mi) to the east in Bolivia. Estimates of its magnitude range from 8.5 to 9.3. [8] A 600 km (370 mi) rupture length has been estimated from the pattern of isoseismals making it one of the largest fault breaks in modern times. [8]

About 400 aftershocks were recorded by 25 August of that year. [3]

Contemporary accounts say that the earthquake shaking lasted somewhere between five and ten minutes. [7]

Tsunami

Although this event generated a tsunami that was noted across the Pacific, most of the associated damage was localised along the coasts of southern Peru and what is now northernmost Chile. [5] The first wave arrived at Arica 52 minutes after the earthquake, with a 12 m (39 ft) height, followed by the largest 16 m (52 ft) wave 73 minutes later. [6]

Future risk

In 2001, the Arica area was identified as forming part of a seismic gap between 15° and 24°S, with no major earthquake since 1877. In accordance with this theory, a major earthquake was considered likely to happen in the near future. [5] More specifically, in 2005, a magnitude 8.6 event was forecast for the northern Chile part of the gap, the location of the subsequent 2014 Iquique earthquake. An earthquake affecting the same sector of the plate boundary as the 1868 event with a magnitude of 8.8 was also forecast as likely to occur by 2126. [6] A repeat of the 1868 event would probably cause more casualties, because of the increase of population in areas at risk.

See also

Related Research Articles

The Peru–Chile Trench, also known as the Atacama Trench, is an oceanic trench in the eastern Pacific Ocean, about 160 kilometres (99 mi) off the coast of Peru and Chile. It reaches a maximum depth of 8,065 m (26,460 ft) below sea level in Richards Deep and is approximately 5,900 km (3,666 mi) long; its mean width is 64 km (40 mi) and it covers an expanse of some 590,000 km2 (230,000 sq mi).

Megathrust earthquakes occur at convergent plate boundaries, where one tectonic plate is forced underneath another. The earthquakes are caused by slip along the thrust fault that forms the contact between the two plates. These interplate earthquakes are the planet's most powerful, with moment magnitudes (Mw) that can exceed 9.0. Since 1900, all earthquakes of magnitude 9.0 or greater have been megathrust earthquakes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2001 southern Peru earthquake</span> 2001 severe earthquake centered in Arequipa Region, Peru

The 2001 southern Peru earthquake occurred at 20:33:15 UTC on June 23 with a moment magnitude of 8.4 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe). The quake affected the Peruvian regions of Arequipa, Moquegua and Tacna. It was the most devastating earthquake in Peru since the catastrophic 1970 Ancash earthquake and globally the largest earthquake since the 1965 Rat Islands earthquake.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2007 Peru earthquake</span> 2007 earthquake and tsunami centered off the coast of Ica Department, Peru

The 2007 Peru earthquake, which measured 8.0 on the moment magnitude scale, hit the central coast of Peru on August 15 at 23:40:57 UTC and lasted two minutes. The epicenter was located 150 km (93 mi) south-southeast of Lima at a depth of 39 km (24 mi). At least 595 people died and over 2,290 people were injured.

The 1922 Vallenar earthquake occurred with a moment magnitude of 8.5–8.6 and a tsunami magnitude of 8.7 in the Atacama Region of Chile, near the border with Argentina on 11 November at 04:32 UTC. It triggered a destructive tsunami that caused significant damage to the coast of Chile and was observed as far away as Australia.

The 1687 Peru earthquake occurred at 11:30 UTC on 20 October 1687. It had an estimated magnitude of 8.4–8.7 and caused severe damage to Lima, Callao and Ica. It triggered a tsunami and overall, about 5,000 people died.

The 1730 Valparaíso earthquake occurred at 04:45 local time on July 8. It had an estimated magnitude of 9.1–9.3 and triggered a major tsunami with an estimated magnitude of Mt  8.75, that inundated the lower parts of Valparaíso. The earthquake caused severe damage from La Serena to Chillan, while the tsunami affected more than 1,000 km (620 mi) of Chile's coastline.

The 1906 Ecuador–Colombia earthquake occurred at 10:36:10 (UTC+5) on Wednesday January 31, 1906 off the coast of Ecuador, near Esmeraldas. The earthquake had a moment magnitude of 8.8 and triggered a destructive tsunami that caused at least 500 casualties on the coast of Colombia.

The 1877 Iquique earthquake occurred at 21:16 local time on 9 May. It had a magnitude of 8.5 on the surface wave magnitude scale. Other estimates of its magnitude have been as high as 8.9 Mw and 9.0 Mt. It had a maximum intensity of XI (Extreme) on the Mercalli intensity scale and triggered a devastating tsunami. A total of 2,385 people died, mainly in Fiji.

The 1746 Lima–Callao earthquake occurred at 22:30 local time on 28 October with a moment magnitude of 8.6–8.8 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of XI (Extreme). The epicenter was located about 90 km (56 mi) north-northwest of the capital Lima, which was almost completely destroyed, and the subsequent tsunami devastated the port city of Callao. It was the deadliest earthquake in Peru’s history prior to the 1970 earthquake.

The November 1960 Peru earthquake occurred offshore northern Peru on November 20 at 17:02 local time. The magnitude of the earthquake was Ms  6.75 by using the conventional surface-wave magnitude measurement within a shorter duration of ~20 s. However, there is a large discrepancy between the magnitudes in Ms  and Mw  in this earthquake. The discrepancy was caused from the earthquake's long source duration of about 130 s, and by calculating the seismic moment, the magnitude would be Mw  7.6 or Mw  7.8, according to different sources. This earthquake belongs to a category of earthquakes with slow rupture velocities and potential of producing tsunamis larger than those expected from the moment magnitudes.

The 1942 Peru earthquake occurred on August 24 at 17:50 local time and was located near the border of the departments of Ica and Arequipa, Peru. It had a magnitude of Mw 8.2 or Ms 8.4.

The 2014 Iquique earthquake struck off the coast of Chile on 1 April, with a moment magnitude of 8.2, at 20:46 local time. The epicenter of the earthquake was approximately 95 kilometres (59 mi) northwest of Iquique. The mainshock was preceded by a number of moderate to large shocks and was followed by a large number of moderate to very large aftershocks, including a M7.7 event on 3 April. The megathrust earthquake triggered a tsunami of up to 2.11 metres (6.9 ft) that hit Iquique at 21:05 local time. Similar-sized tsunamis were also reported to have hit the coasts of Pisagua and Arica.

An earthquake measuring Mw 8.0 struck Peru and the surrounding areas on 26 May 2019 at 02:41 local time. It had a maximum perceived intensity of VII on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale in the towns of Yurimaguas and Lagunas. Two people died and a further 30 were injured. It was the strongest earthquake in 2019 by magnitude.

The 1940 Lima earthquake occurred on May 24 at 11:35 a.m. PST with a magnitude of Mw 8.2 on the moment magnitude scale. Shaking from this powerful earthquake was felt throughout the country, and in Ecuador and Chile. An estimated 179 to 300 Peruvians lost their lives while 3,500 left injured by the earthquake. The earthquake was centered near the coastal cities of Huacho and Huaura, about 150 km (93 mi) north of the Peruvian capital, Lima. A tsunami of up to two meters was generated without major damage.

The 1604 Arica earthquake is an earthquake that occurred at 1:30 pm on November 24, 1604, offshore Arica, Chile. The estimated magnitude range is 8.0–8.5 Ms and possibly up to 9.0 Mw. It had a destructive tsunami that destroyed Arica and caused major damage at Arequipa. 1,200 km of coastline were affected by the tsunami. The recorded effects of this earthquake are very similar to those for the 1868 Arica event, suggesting a similar magnitude and rupture area of the megathrust between the subducting Nazca Plate and the overriding South American Plate. Tsunami deposits have been identified on the Chatham Islands that are likely to have been caused by a trans-Pacific tsunami caused by the 1604 earthquake.

The 1586 Lima–Callao earthquake occurred on July 9 along the coast of Peru, near the capital Lima. A section of the Peruvian coast, stretching from Caravelí to Trujillo, north to south, was severely damaged by the earthquake. Major destruction occurred in the capital city Lima as well. The estimated moment magnitude (Mw ) 8.1 earthquake triggered a locally damaging tsunami up to 5 m (16 ft). This was the first major earthquake to strike the city of Lima since its establishment in 1535.

During April 1819, the area around Copiapó in northern Chile was struck by a sequence of earthquakes over a period of several days. The largest of these earthquakes occurred on 11 April at about 15:00 local time, with an estimated magnitude of Mw 8.5. The other two events, on 3 April between 08:00 and 09:00 local time and on 4 April at 16:00 local time, are interpreted as foreshocks to the mainshock on 11 April. The mainshock triggered a tsunami that affected 800 km of coastline and was also recorded at Hawaii. The city of Copiapó was devastated.

The 1657 Concepción earthquake occurred on March 15 at 20:00 local time off the coast of Concepción, Biobío Region in the Spanish Empire. The earthquake caused severe damage along the coast, and generated a large tsunami in the Bay of Concepción. At least 40 people were killed, the majority due to drowning from the tsunami. The town of Concepción was the hardest hit, with the earthquake and tsunami totally destroying it.

The 2012 Constitución earthquake was recorded on March 25, 2012, at 7:37 pm local time. It had a moment magnitude of 7.1 and its epicenter was located 23 km (14 mi) northeast of the city of Constitución, in the Maule Region, Chile. According to experts, it was a strong and late aftershock of the Great Chile earthquake of February 27, 2010.

References

  1. 1 2 3 IISEE. "Catalog of Damaging Earthquakes in the World (Through 2007)". Archived from the original on 6 March 2010. Retrieved 28 February 2010.
  2. 1 2 National Geophysical Data Center / World Data Service (NGDC/WDS): NCEI/WDS Global Significant Earthquake Database. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. "Significant Earthquake Information". doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K . Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 USGS (26 October 2009). "Arica, Peru (now Chile) 1868 August 13 21:30 UTC". Historic Earthquakes. Archived from the original on 16 January 2010. Retrieved 28 February 2010.
  4. ↑ Latest from Australia, Star, Issue 92, 29 August 1868, Page 3
  5. 1 2 3 Rabinovich, A.B.; Kulikov E.A. & Thomson R.E. (2001). "Tsunami risk estimation for the coasts of Peru and northern Chile" (PDF). ITS 2001 Proceedings, Session 1. pp. 281–291. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 July 2010. Retrieved 28 February 2010.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Zamudio, Y.; Berrocal J. & Fernandes C. (2005). "Seismic hazard assessment in the Peru-Chile border region" (PDF). 6th International Symposium on Andean Geodynamics. pp. 813–816. Retrieved 28 February 2010.
  7. 1 2 Allen, G.W. (April 1869). The Great South American Earthquakes of 1868. Harper's New Monthly Magazine. p. 613.
  8. 1 2 3 Okal, E.A.; Borrero J.C. & Synolakis C.E. (2006). "Evaluation of Tsunami Risk from Regional Earthquakes at Pisco, Peru" (PDF). Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America. 96 (5): 1634–1648. Bibcode:2006BuSSA..96.1634O. CiteSeerX   10.1.1.403.4006 . doi:10.1785/0120050158 . Retrieved 1 March 2010.
  9. ↑ Morton, Jamie (13 August 2018). "NZ's only killer tsunami: What it means today". NZ Herald. ISSN   1170-0777 . Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  10. ↑ "Only deadly NZ tsunami on record hit the Chathams, 150 years ago". Stuff. 13 August 2018. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  11. ↑ "Arrival of the schooner Rifleman from the Chatham Islands", Otago Daily Times, Issue 2048, 28 August 1868, p. 3

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