Tsunamis in Chile
A total of 44 tidal waves classified as a tsunami since 1562 have killed 6,644 people in Chile. Tsunamis therefore occur comparatively often in this country.The strongest tidal wave registered in Chile so far reached a height of 50 meters. On 04/21/2007, this tsunami killed a total of 8 people.
The biggest impact in terms of lifes, injuries, destroyed homes and the economy had been a tsunami on 05/22/1960. A tidal wave of up to 25 meters killed 2,333 humans and destroyed vast areas.
Other natural hazards in Chile:
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› The most severe tsunamis in the world
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Tsunamis are caused by earthquakes or other seismic eruptions on ground of an oceans and can cause massive tidal waves, which run with enormous force on land, causing great devastation. Especially in regions with only few tsunamis, the damage is often drastic, as the population does not expect tsunamis and thus hardly takes any protective measures. Even relatively small flood waves can lead to high losses and financial damage.The marked positions on the map represent the most affected regions within the past 460 years.
The largest tsunamis in Chile since 1751
| Date | Cause | Max. tidal wave | Fatalities | Total damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01/15/2022 | Volcano in Tonga (Tonga Islands) The tsunami caused damages in 8 further countries. A total of 6 humans died. | 1.7 m | 0 | |
| 09/16/2015 | Earthquakes in Chile (Central Chile) with a magnitude of 8.3. | 13.60 m | 8 | |
| 04/01/2014 | Earthquakes in Chile (Northern Chile) with a magnitude of 8.2. | 4.6 m | 0 | |
| 03/11/2011 | Earthquakes in Japan (Honshu Island) with a magnitude of 9.1. The tsunami caused damages in 11 further countries. A total of 18,431 humans died. | 2.5 m | 0 | |
| 02/27/2010 | Earthquakes in Chile (Central Chile) with a magnitude of 8.8. The tsunami also reached French Polynesia, United States, Russia, New Zealand. | 29 m | 229 | |
| 04/21/2007 | Earthquake, landslide in Chile (Southern Chile) with a magnitude of 6.2. | 50 m | 8 | |
| 06/23/2001 | Earthquakes in Peru (S. Peru) with a magnitude of 8.4. | 1.3 m | 0 | |
| 07/30/1995 | Earthquakes in Chile (Northern Chile) with a magnitude of 8.0. | 2.5 m | 0 | |
| 03/03/1985 | Earthquakes in Chile (Central Chile) with a magnitude of 8.0. | 3.5 m | 0 | |
| 07/09/1971 | Earthquakes in Chile (Central Chile) with a magnitude of 7.8. | 1.2 m | 0 | |
| 05/04/1968 | Eruption in Chile (Easter Island Region) | 0 m | 0 | |
| 03/28/1964 | Earthquake, landslide in the United States (Prince William Sound, Ak) with a magnitude of 9.2. The tsunami caused damages in 5 further countries. A total of 124 humans died. | 1.1 m | 0 | |
| 05/22/1960 | Earthquakes in Chile (Southern Chile) with a magnitude of 9.5. The tsunami caused damages in 13 further countries. | 25 m | 2,333 | |
| 03/09/1957 | Earthquakes in the United States (Andreanof Islands, Ak) with a magnitude of 8.6. The tsunami caused damages in 6 further countries. A total of 2 humans died. | 1.0 m | 0 | |
| 04/19/1955 | Earthquakes in Chile (Central Chile) with a magnitude of 7.1. | 1 m | 1 | |
| 11/04/1952 | Earthquakes in Russia (Kamchatka) with a magnitude of 9.0. The tsunami caused damages in 11 further countries. A total of 10,000 humans died. | 1.8 m | 0 | |
| 04/01/1946 | Earthquake, landslide in the United States (Unimak Island, Ak) with a magnitude of 8.6. The tsunami caused damages in 6 further countries. A total of 167 humans died. | 8.6 m | 0 | |
| 04/06/1943 | Earthquakes in Chile (Central Chile) with a magnitude of 8.2. | 0 m | 0 | |
| 07/13/1936 | Earthquakes in Chile (Northern Chile) with a magnitude of 7.3. | 1 m | 0 | |
| 12/01/1928 | Earthquakes in Chile (Central Chile) with a magnitude of 7.6. | 1.5 m | 0 | |
| 02/17/1923 | Eruption in Chile (Central Chile) | 1.5 m | 0 | |
| 11/11/1922 | Earthquakes in Chile (Northern Chile) with a magnitude of 8.7. The tsunami also reached Japan, American Samoa, Peru, United States. | 9 m | 200 | |
| 08/20/1920 | Earthquakes in Chile (Central Chile) with a magnitude of 7.0. | 1.4 m | 0 | |
| 12/04/1918 | Earthquakes in Chile (Northern Chile) with a magnitude of 7.8. | 5 m | 0 | |
| 08/17/1906 | Earthquakes in Chile (Central Chile) with a magnitude of 8.2. The tsunami also reached United States, French Polynesia. | 1.5 m | 0 | |
| 05/31/1895 | Earthquakes in Chile (Northern Chile) | 0 m | 0 | |
| 05/10/1877 | Earthquakes in Chile (Northern Chile) with a magnitude of 8.3. The tsunami caused damages in 7 further countries. A total of 2,282 humans died. | 24 m | 277 | |
| 08/13/1868 | Earthquakes in Chile (Northern Chile) with a magnitude of 8.5. The tsunami caused damages in 6 further countries. A total of 25,000 humans died. | 18 m | 154 | |
| 02/20/1835 | Earthquakes in Chile (Central Chile) with a magnitude of 8.2. | 24 m | 3 | |
| 05/25/1751 | Earthquakes in Chile (Central Chile) with a magnitude of 8.5. | 3.5 m | 65 |
These evaluations are based on data from the Global Historical Tsunami Database of the National Geophysical Data Center, NOAA, and World Data Service (NGDC/WDS), doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Individual data have been summarized or translated.
Recent earthquakes and their magnitudes in Chile
Active volcanoes and eruptions in Chile
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