List of earthquakes in Chile

Chile lies in a region which is adjacent to the fast-moving Nazca plate, and has high tectonic activity. The records for earlier centuries are apparently incomplete.

Of the world's 46 known earthquakes with M ≥ 8.5 since the year 1500, one-third occurred in Chile ^{[ citation needed ]} and are shown in the map to the side. Some virtually have the same epicenters like the 1604 and 1868 (in Arica), the 1730 and 1822 (in Valparaíso), the 1751 and 1835 (in Concepción), and the 1575 and 1837 (in Valdivia).

The strongest known recorded in modern times was also in Chile, the 1960 Valdivia earthquake.

Earthquakes

Region	Local date	Mag.	MMI	Depth (km)	Epicenter	Deaths	Notes	Sources
Caldera	1420-08-31	9.4 MS [1] [2]			27°00′00″S71°00′00″W / 27.000°S 71.000°W / -27.000; -71.000		Destructive tsunami in Chile, Hawaii & Japan
Concepción	1570-02-08	8.3 MS			36°48′00″S73°00′00″W / 36.800°S 73.000°W / -36.800; -73.000		Destructive tsunami
	1575-03-17	7.3 MS			33°24′00″S70°36′00″W / 33.400°S 70.600°W / -33.400; -70.600
Valdivia	1575-12-16	8.5 MS			39°48′00″S73°12′00″W / 39.800°S 73.200°W / -39.800; -73.200		Destructive tsunami
Offshore Arica	1604-11-24	8.5 MS		30	18°30′00″S70°24′00″W / 18.500°S 70.400°W / -18.500; -70.400		Destructive tsunami
Offshore Arica	1615-09-16	7.5 [3] MS			18°30′00″S70°21′00″W / 18.500°S 70.350°W / -18.500; -70.350		Moderate tsunami
Santiago	1647-05-13	8.5 MS			35°00′00″S72°00′00″W / 35.000°S 72.000°W / -35.000; -72.000
Concepción	1657-03-15	8.0 MS			36°49′48″S73°01′48″W / 36.830°S 73.030°W / -36.830; -73.030	40	Destructive tsunami
	1681-03-10	7.3 MS			18°30′00″S70°21′00″W / 18.500°S 70.350°W / -18.500; -70.350
	1687-07-12	7.3 MS			32°45′00″S70°43′48″W / 32.750°S 70.730°W / -32.750; -70.730
Valparaíso	1730-07-08	8.7 MS/9.1 MW [4]			33°03′00″S71°37′48″W / 33.050°S 71.630°W / -33.050; -71.630	5	Destructive tsunami
Valdivia	1737-12-24	7.7 MS			39°48′00″S73°12′00″W / 39.800°S 73.200°W / -39.800; -73.200		Tsunami
Concepción	1751-05-25	8.5 MS			36°49′48″S73°01′48″W / 36.830°S 73.030°W / -36.830; -73.030		Moderate tsunami
	1796-03-30	7.7 MS			27°21′00″S70°21′00″W / 27.350°S 70.350°W / -27.350; -70.350
Copiapó	1819-04-11	8.2–8.5 Mw			27°21′00″S70°21′00″W / 27.350°S 70.350°W / -27.350; -70.350		Destructive tsunami
Valparaíso	1822-11-19	8.5 MS			33°03′00″S71°37′48″W / 33.050°S 71.630°W / -33.050; -71.630	200	Moderate tsunami
	1829-09-26	7.0 MS			33°03′00″S71°37′48″W / 33.050°S 71.630°W / -33.050; -71.630
	1831-10-08	7.8 MS			18°30′00″S71°00′00″W / 18.500°S 71.000°W / -18.500; -71.000
	1833-09-18	7.7 MS		60	18°30′00″S70°24′00″W / 18.500°S 70.400°W / -18.500; -70.400
Concepción	1835-02-20	8.5/8.2 MS/M?			36°49′48″S73°01′48″W / 36.830°S 73.030°W / -36.830; -73.030	500	Destructive tsunami
Valdivia	1837-11-07	8.8–9.5			39°48′00″S73°12′00″W / 39.800°S 73.200°W / -39.800; -73.200		Moderate tsunami
	1847-10-08	7.3 MS			31°36′36″S71°10′48″W / 31.610°S 71.180°W / -31.610; -71.180
	1849-12-17	7.5 MS			29°57′00″S71°22′12″W / 29.950°S 71.370°W / -29.950; -71.370		Moderate tsunami
	1850-12-06	7.3 MS			33°48′36″S70°13′12″W / 33.810°S 70.220°W / -33.810; -70.220
	1851-04-02	7.1 MS			33°19′12″S71°25′12″W / 33.320°S 71.420°W / -33.320; -71.420
	1859-10-05	7.6 MS			27°21′00″S70°21′00″W / 27.350°S 70.350°W / -27.350; -70.350		Moderate tsunami
Arica	1868-08-13	9.0/8.5 M?/MS			18°30′00″S70°21′00″W / 18.500°S 70.350°W / -18.500; -70.350	25,000	Destructive tsunami, at the time the area was part of Peru.
	1869-08-24	7.5 MS			19°36′00″S70°13′48″W / 19.600°S 70.230°W / -19.600; -70.230		Moderate tsunami
	1871-10-05	7.3 MS			20°12′00″S70°10′12″W / 20.200°S 70.170°W / -20.200; -70.170		Tsunami
Iquique	1877-05-09	8.8 MS/M?			19°36′00″S70°13′48″W / 19.600°S 70.230°W / -19.600; -70.230	2,385	Destructive tsunami
	1878-01-23	7.9 MS		40	20°00′00″S70°18′00″W / 20.000°S 70.300°W / -20.000; -70.300
	1879-02-02	7.3 MS			53°00′00″S70°40′12″W / 53.000°S 70.670°W / -53.000; -70.670
	1880-08-15	7.7 MS			31°37′12″S71°10′48″W / 31.620°S 71.180°W / -31.620; -71.180
Valparaíso	1906-08-16	8.2 MW		25	33°00′00″S72°00′00″W / 33.000°S 72.000°W / -33.000; -72.000	3,882	Moderate tsunami
	1909-06-08	7.6 MS			26°30′00″S70°30′00″W / 26.500°S 70.500°W / -26.500; -70.500
	1910-10-04	7.3 MS			22°00′00″S69°00′00″W / 22.000°S 69.000°W / -22.000; -69.000
	1911-09-15	7.3 MS			20°00′00″S72°00′00″W / 20.000°S 72.000°W / -20.000; -72.000
	1914-01-29	8.2 MS			35°00′00″S73°00′00″W / 35.000°S 73.000°W / -35.000; -73.000
	1917-02-14	7.0 MS			30°00′00″S73°00′00″W / 30.000°S 73.000°W / -30.000; -73.000
	1918-05-20	7.9 MS			28°30′00″S71°30′00″W / 28.500°S 71.500°W / -28.500; -71.500
	1918-12-04	8.2 MS		60	26°00′00″S71°00′00″W / 26.000°S 71.000°W / -26.000; -71.000		Moderate tsunami
	1919-03-01	7.2 MS		40	41°00′00″S73°30′00″W / 41.000°S 73.500°W / -41.000; -73.500
	1919-03-02	7.3 MS		40	41°00′00″S73°30′00″W / 41.000°S 73.500°W / -41.000; -73.500
	1920-12-10	7.4 MS			39°00′00″S73°00′00″W / 39.000°S 73.000°W / -39.000; -73.000
	1922-11-07	7.0 MS			28°00′00″S72°00′00″W / 28.000°S 72.000°W / -28.000; -72.000
Vallenar	1922-11-10	8.5 MW		25	28°30′00″S70°00′00″W / 28.500°S 70.000°W / -28.500; -70.000	1,000	Moderate tsunami
	1923-05-04	7.0 MS		60	28°45′00″S71°45′00″W / 28.750°S 71.750°W / -28.750; -71.750
	1925-05-15	7.1 MS		50	26°00′00″S71°30′00″W / 26.000°S 71.500°W / -26.000; -71.500
	1926-04-28	7.0 MS		180	24°00′00″S69°00′00″W / 24.000°S 69.000°W / -24.000; -69.000
	1927-11-21	7.1 MS			44°30′00″S73°00′00″W / 44.500°S 73.000°W / -44.500; -73.000		Moderate tsunami
	1928-11-20	7.1 MS		25	22°30′00″S70°30′00″W / 22.500°S 70.500°W / -22.500; -70.500
Talca	1928-12-01	8.3/7.6 MS/M?			35°00′00″S72°00′00″W / 35.000°S 72.000°W / -35.000; -72.000	225	Tsunami
	1929-10-19	7.5 MS		100	23°00′00″S69°00′00″W / 23.000°S 69.000°W / -23.000; -69.000
	1931-03-18	7.1 MS			32°30′00″S72°00′00″W / 32.500°S 72.000°W / -32.500; -72.000
	1933-02-23	7.6 MS		40	20°00′00″S71°00′00″W / 20.000°S 71.000°W / -20.000; -71.000
	1936-03-01	7.1 MS		120	40°00′00″S72°30′00″W / 40.000°S 72.500°W / -40.000; -72.500
	1936-07-13	7.3 MS		60	24°30′00″S70°00′00″W / 24.500°S 70.000°W / -24.500; -70.000
Chillán	1939-01-24	8.3 Mw		60	36°12′00″S72°12′00″W / 36.200°S 72.200°W / -36.200; -72.200	28,000
	1939-04-18	7.4 MS		100	27°00′00″S70°30′00″W / 27.000°S 70.500°W / -27.000; -70.500
	1940-10-11	7.0 MS			41°30′00″S74°30′00″W / 41.500°S 74.500°W / -41.500; -74.500
	1942-07-08	7.0 MS		140	24°00′00″S70°00′00″W / 24.000°S 70.000°W / -24.000; -70.000
	1943-03-14	7.2 MS		150	20°00′00″S69°30′00″W / 20.000°S 69.500°W / -20.000; -69.500
Ovalle	1943-04-06	8.2 MW		55	30°45′00″S72°00′00″W / 30.750°S 72.000°W / -30.750; -72.000	25	Tsunami
	1943-12-01	7.0 MS		100	21°00′00″S69°00′00″W / 21.000°S 69.000°W / -21.000; -69.000
	1945-07-13	7.1 MS		100	33°15′00″S70°30′00″W / 33.250°S 70.500°W / -33.250; -70.500
	1946-08-02	7.9 MS		50	26°30′00″S70°30′00″W / 26.500°S 70.500°W / -26.500; -70.500
	1949-04-19	7.3 MS		70	38°00′00″S73°30′00″W / 38.000°S 73.500°W / -38.000; -73.500
	1949-04-25	7.3 MS		110	19°45′00″S69°00′00″W / 19.750°S 69.000°W / -19.750; -69.000
	1949-05-29	7.0 MS		100	22°00′00″S69°00′00″W / 22.000°S 69.000°W / -22.000; -69.000
Tierra del Fuego	1949-12-17	7.8 MS	VIII	30	54°00′00″S71°00′00″W / 54.000°S 71.000°W / -54.000; -71.000 / 54°0′0″S68°46′11″W / 54.00000°S 68.76972°W / -54.00000; -68.76972 [5]			[5]
	1949-12-17	7.8 MS			54°00′00″S71°00′00″W / 54.000°S 71.000°W / -54.000; -71.000
	1950-01-29	7.0 MS			53°30′00″S71°30′00″W / 53.500°S 71.500°W / -53.500; -71.500
Calama	1950-12-09	8.3 MS		100	23°30′00″S67°30′00″W / 23.500°S 67.500°W / -23.500; -67.500
	1953-05-06	7.6 MS		60	36°30′00″S72°36′00″W / 36.500°S 72.600°W / -36.500; -72.600
	1953-12-06	7.4 MS		128	22°06′00″S68°42′00″W / 22.100°S 68.700°W / -22.100; -68.700
	1954-02-08	7.7 MS			29°00′00″S70°30′00″W / 29.000°S 70.500°W / -29.000; -70.500
	1955-04-19	7.1 MS			30°00′00″S72°00′00″W / 30.000°S 72.000°W / -30.000; -72.000		Tsunami
	1956-01-08	7.1 MS		11	19°00′00″S70°00′00″W / 19.000°S 70.000°W / -19.000; -70.000
	1956-12-17	7.0 MS			25°30′00″S68°30′00″W / 25.500°S 68.500°W / -25.500; -68.500
	1957-07-29	7.0 MS			23°30′00″S71°30′00″W / 23.500°S 71.500°W / -23.500; -71.500
	1959-06-13	7.5 MS		83	20°25′12″S69°00′00″W / 20.420°S 69.000°W / -20.420; -69.000
Concepción	1960-05-21	7.9/7.3 M?/MS	X		37°30′00″S73°30′00″W / 37.500°S 73.500°W / -37.500; -73.500	125
	1960-05-22	7.3 MS			37°30′00″S73°00′00″W / 37.500°S 73.000°W / -37.500; -73.000
Valdivia	1960-05-22	9.5 Mw	XII	33	39°30′00″S74°30′00″W / 39.500°S 74.500°W / -39.500; -74.500	1,655	Destructive tsunami, strongest earthquake in recorded history.
	1960-06-19	7.3 MS			38°00′00″S73°30′00″W / 38.000°S 73.500°W / -38.000; -73.500
	1960-11-01	7.4 MS		55	38°30′00″S75°06′00″W / 38.500°S 75.100°W / -38.500; -75.100
	1961-07-13	7.0 MS		40	41°42′00″S75°12′00″W / 41.700°S 75.200°W / -41.700; -75.200
	1962-02-14	7.3 MS		45	37°48′00″S72°30′00″W / 37.800°S 72.500°W / -37.800; -72.500
	1962-08-03	7.1 MS		107	23°18′00″S68°06′00″W / 23.300°S 68.100°W / -23.300; -68.100
Taltal	1965-02-23	7.0 MS		36	25°40′12″S70°37′48″W / 25.670°S 70.630°W / -25.670; -70.630	1
La Ligua	1965-03-28	7.4 MS		68	32°25′05″S71°06′00″W / 32.418°S 71.100°W / -32.418; -71.100	400
	1966-12-28	7.8 MS		23	25°30′36″S70°44′24″W / 25.510°S 70.740°W / -25.510; -70.740
	1967-03-13	7.3 MS		33	40°07′12″S74°40′48″W / 40.120°S 74.680°W / -40.120; -74.680
	1967-12-21	7.5 MS		33	21°48′00″S70°00′00″W / 21.800°S 70.000°W / -21.800; -70.000
	1971-06-17	7.0 MS		76	25°24′07″S69°03′29″W / 25.402°S 69.058°W / -25.402; -69.058
Illapel	1971-07-08	7.5 MS		40	32°30′40″S71°12′25″W / 32.511°S 71.207°W / -32.511; -71.207	90	Moderate tsunami
	1974-08-18	7.1 MS		36	38°27′11″S73°25′52″W / 38.453°S 73.431°W / -38.453; -73.431
	1975-05-10	7.7 MS		6	38°10′59″S73°13′55″W / 38.183°S 73.232°W / -38.183; -73.232
	1976-11-29	7.3 MS		82	20°31′12″S68°55′08″W / 20.520°S 68.919°W / -20.520; -68.919
	1979-08-03	7.0 MS		49	26°31′05″S70°39′50″W / 26.518°S 70.664°W / -26.518; -70.664
	1981-10-16	7.5 MS		33	33°08′02″S73°04′26″W / 33.134°S 73.074°W / -33.134; -73.074
	1983-10-04	7.3 MS		14	26°32′06″S70°33′47″W / 26.535°S 70.563°W / -26.535; -70.563
Algarrobo	1985-03-03	8.0 Mw	VIII	33	33°14′24″S71°51′00″W / 33.240°S 71.850°W / -33.240; -71.850	177	Tsunami
Rapel Lake	1985-04-08	7.5 MS		37	34°07′52″S71°37′05″W / 34.131°S 71.618°W / -34.131; -71.618	1
Iquique	1987-03-05	7.3 MS		62	24°23′17″S70°09′40″W / 24.388°S 70.161°W / -24.388; -70.161		Tsunami
	1987-08-08	7.1 MS		42	19°00′00″S70°00′00″W / 19.000°S 70.000°W / -19.000; -70.000
Antofagasta	1995-07-30	8.0 MW		47	23°21′36″S70°18′36″W / 23.360°S 70.310°W / -23.360; -70.310	3	Tsunami
Punitaqui	1997-10-15	7.1 MW	VIII	56	30°46′23″S71°18′54″W / 30.773°S 71.315°W / -30.773; -71.315	8
Near coast of northern Chile	1998-01-30	7.1 M?	VII	42	23°54′36″S70°12′00″W / 23.910°S 70.200°W / -23.910; -70.200	1	Minor damage to older buildings
Tarapacá	2005-06-13	7.8 MW	VII	108/117.2	19°53′42″S69°07′30″W / 19.895°S 69.125°W / -19.895; -69.125 / 19°56′02″S69°01′41″W / 19.934°S 69.028°W / -19.934; -69.028	11	Felt as far away as Santiago, Chile and Brasília, Brazil
Aisén Fjord	2007-04-21	6.2 Mw	VII	25	45°16′S72°40′W / 45.27°S 72.66°W / -45.27; -72.66	10
Tocopilla	2007-11-14	7.7 MW	VIII	47.7/40	22°18′50″S70°04′41″W / 22.314°S 70.078°W / -22.314; -70.078	2	Felt at São Paulo, Brazil
Maule, Biobío	2010-02-27	8.8 MW	IX	30/35	36°17′24″S73°14′20″W / 36.290°S 73.239°W / -36.290; -73.239	525	Destructive tsunami
Pichilemu	2010-03-11	6.9 Mw	VII	33.1	34°15′32″S71°55′44″W / 34.259°S 71.929°W / -34.259; -71.929	1		[6] [7]
Araucanía	2011-01-02	7.1 Mw	VI	25.1	38°21′14″S73°16′30″W / 38.354°S 73.275°W / -38.354; -73.275			[8]
Talca	2012-03-25	7.1 Mw	VIII	40.7	35°10′59″S71°47′31″W / 35.183°S 71.792°W / -35.183; -71.792	1		[9]
Vallenar	2013-01-30	6.8 Mw	VI	45.0	28°05′38″S70°39′11″W / 28.094°S 70.653°W / -28.094; -70.653	1		[10]
Iquique	2014-03-16	7.0 Mw	VI	20.6	19°58′52″S70°42′07″W / 19.981°S 70.702°W / -19.981; -70.702		Tsunami
Iquique	2014-04-01	8.2 Mw	VIII	25	19°36′36″S70°46′08″W / 19.610°S 70.769°W / -19.610; -70.769	7	Tsunami	[11]
Iquique	2014-04-01	7.5 Mw	VIII	26.8	20°05′06″S70°23′20″W / 20.085°S 70.389°W / -20.085; -70.389
Iquique	2014-04-01	7.0 Mw	VI	29.7	19°53′35″S70°56′42″W / 19.893°S 70.945°W / -19.893; -70.945
Iquique	2014-04-02	7.7 Mw	IX	22.4	20°34′16″S70°29′35″W / 20.571°S 70.493°W / -20.571; -70.493		Tsunami
Illapel, Coquimbo	2015-09-16	8.3 Mw	IX	20	31°34′S71°39′W / 31.57°S 71.65°W / -31.57; -71.65	15	Tsunami
Quellón	2016-12-25	7.6 Mw	VIII	39	43°24′58″S73°52′48″W / 43.416°S 73.880°W / -43.416; -73.880		Tsunami	[12]
Coquimbo	2019-01-20	6.7 Mw	VIII	63	30°04′26″S71°25′23″W / 30.074°S 71.423°W / -30.074; -71.423	2
Maule	2019-09-29	6.8 Mw	VI	11	35°28′23″S73°09′43″W / 35.473°S 73.162°W / -35.473; -73.162	1
Drake Passage	2025-05-02	7.4 Mww	V	10	56°46′55″S68°12′32″W / 56.782°S 68.209°W / -56.782; -68.209		7.4 magnitude earthquake
The inclusion criteria for adding events are based on WikiProject Earthquakes' notability guideline that was developed for stand alone articles. The principles described are also applicable to lists. In summary, only damaging, injurious, or deadly events should be recorded.

See also

• Geology of Chile

References

1. L. Guzmán: Encuentran registros de megaterremoto ocurrido hace seis siglos en el norte de Chile, El Mercurio , 2019-02-14.
2. Manuel Abad, Tatiana Izquierdo, Miguel Cáceres, Enrique Bernárdez and Joaquín Rodríguez‐Vidal (2018). Coastal boulder deposit as evidence of an ocean‐wide prehistoric tsunami originated on the Atacama Desert coast (northern Chile). Sedimentology. Publication: december, 13th, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1111/sed.12570
3. Kovach, Robert L. (2004). Early earthquakes of the Americas (1. publ., repr. ed.). Cambridge [u.a.]: Cambridge Univ. Press. p. 139. ISBN   978-0-521-82489-7 . Retrieved 7 September 2014.
4. 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 2024-03-20.
5. Argentina's seismic prevention institute. Listado de Terremotos Históricos Archived 2012-03-16 at the Wayback Machine
6. "Informe de Sismo". Sismologia.cl. 2010-03-15. Retrieved 2012-04-12.^{[ permanent dead link ]}
7. "Hombre fallece en Talca de un paro cardíaco en medio de fuertes réplicas | NACIONAL". latercera.com. 2010-07-31. Archived from the original on 2012-02-26. Retrieved 2012-04-12.
8. "Magnitude 7.1 – ARAUCANIA, CHILE". United States Geological Survey. Archived from the original on 2011-01-05. Retrieved 2012-04-12.
9. "Magnitud 7.1 MAULE, CHILE". United States Geological Survey. 25 March 2012. Archived from the original on 27 March 2012. Retrieved 25 March 2012.
10. "M 6.8 – 54 km N of Vallenar, Chile". United States Geological Survey. 30 January 2013. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
11. "Chile earthquake: 2 dead, 3 seriously injured". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 2 April 2014.
12. "M7.6 – 39 km SSW of Puerto Quellon, Chile". United States Geological Survey. December 25, 2016. Retrieved December 26, 2016.

• (in Spanish) Servicio sismológico Universidad de Chile, Sismos importantes o destructivos desde 1570
• Historic World Earthquakes: Chile, United States Geological Survey

Further reading

• Gil, Magdalena (2024), "Forjadores de la nación: rethinking the role of earthquakes in Chilean history", in de Carvalho Cabral, D.; Vital, A. V.; Gascón, M. (eds.), More-Than-Human Histories of Latin America and the Caribbean: Decentring the Human in Environmental History, University of London Press, JSTOR   jj.17681896.10
• Ruiz, S.; Madariaga, R. (2018), "Historical and recent large megathrust earthquakes in Chile", Tectonophysics, 733: 37–56, doi:10.1016/j.tecto.2018.01.015