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 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″S 71°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″S 73°00′00″W / 36.800°S 73.000°W / -36.800; -73.000 Destructive tsunami
1575-03-17 7.3 MS 33°24′00″S 70°36′00″W / 33.400°S 70.600°W / -33.400; -70.600
Valdivia 1575-12-16 8.5 MS 39°48′00″S 73°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″S 70°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″S 70°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″S 72°00′00″W / 35.000°S 72.000°W / -35.000; -72.000
Concepción 1657-03-15 8.0 MS 36°49′48″S 73°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″S 70°21′00″W / 18.500°S 70.350°W / -18.500; -70.350
1687-07-12 7.3 MS 32°45′00″S 70°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″S 71°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″S 73°12′00″W / 39.800°S 73.200°W / -39.800; -73.200 Tsunami
Concepción 1751-05-25 8.5 MS 36°49′48″S 73°01′48″W / 36.830°S 73.030°W / -36.830; -73.030 Moderate tsunami
1796-03-30 7.7 MS 27°21′00″S 70°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″S 70°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″S 71°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″S 71°37′48″W / 33.050°S 71.630°W / -33.050; -71.630
1831-10-08 7.8 MS 18°30′00″S 71°00′00″W / 18.500°S 71.000°W / -18.500; -71.000
1833-09-18 7.7 MS 60 18°30′00″S 70°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″S 73°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″S 73°12′00″W / 39.800°S 73.200°W / -39.800; -73.200 Moderate tsunami
1847-10-08 7.3 MS 31°36′36″S 71°10′48″W / 31.610°S 71.180°W / -31.610; -71.180
1849-12-17 7.5 MS 29°57′00″S 71°22′12″W / 29.950°S 71.370°W / -29.950; -71.370 Moderate tsunami
1850-12-06 7.3 MS 33°48′36″S 70°13′12″W / 33.810°S 70.220°W / -33.810; -70.220
1851-04-02 7.1 MS 33°19′12″S 71°25′12″W / 33.320°S 71.420°W / -33.320; -71.420
1859-10-05 7.6 MS 27°21′00″S 70°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″S 70°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″S 70°13′48″W / 19.600°S 70.230°W / -19.600; -70.230 Moderate tsunami
1871-10-05 7.3 MS 20°12′00″S 70°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″S 70°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″S 70°18′00″W / 20.000°S 70.300°W / -20.000; -70.300
1879-02-02 7.3 MS 53°00′00″S 70°40′12″W / 53.000°S 70.670°W / -53.000; -70.670
1880-08-15 7.7 MS 31°37′12″S 71°10′48″W / 31.620°S 71.180°W / -31.620; -71.180
Valparaíso 1906-08-16 8.2 MW 25 33°00′00″S 72°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″S 70°30′00″W / 26.500°S 70.500°W / -26.500; -70.500
1910-10-04 7.3 MS 22°00′00″S 69°00′00″W / 22.000°S 69.000°W / -22.000; -69.000
1911-09-15 7.3 MS 20°00′00″S 72°00′00″W / 20.000°S 72.000°W / -20.000; -72.000
1914-01-29 8.2 MS 35°00′00″S 73°00′00″W / 35.000°S 73.000°W / -35.000; -73.000
1917-02-14 7.0 MS 30°00′00″S 73°00′00″W / 30.000°S 73.000°W / -30.000; -73.000
1918-05-20 7.9 MS 28°30′00″S 71°30′00″W / 28.500°S 71.500°W / -28.500; -71.500
1918-12-04 8.2 MS 60 26°00′00″S 71°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″S 73°30′00″W / 41.000°S 73.500°W / -41.000; -73.500
1919-03-02 7.3 MS 40 41°00′00″S 73°30′00″W / 41.000°S 73.500°W / -41.000; -73.500
1920-12-10 7.4 MS 39°00′00″S 73°00′00″W / 39.000°S 73.000°W / -39.000; -73.000
1922-11-07 7.0 MS 28°00′00″S 72°00′00″W / 28.000°S 72.000°W / -28.000; -72.000
Vallenar 1922-11-10 8.5 MW 25 28°30′00″S 70°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″S 71°45′00″W / 28.750°S 71.750°W / -28.750; -71.750
1925-05-15 7.1 MS 50 26°00′00″S 71°30′00″W / 26.000°S 71.500°W / -26.000; -71.500
1926-04-28 7.0 MS 180 24°00′00″S 69°00′00″W / 24.000°S 69.000°W / -24.000; -69.000
1927-11-21 7.1 MS 44°30′00″S 73°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″S 70°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″S 72°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″S 69°00′00″W / 23.000°S 69.000°W / -23.000; -69.000
1931-03-18 7.1 MS 32°30′00″S 72°00′00″W / 32.500°S 72.000°W / -32.500; -72.000
1933-02-23 7.6 MS 40 20°00′00″S 71°00′00″W / 20.000°S 71.000°W / -20.000; -71.000
1936-03-01 7.1 MS 120 40°00′00″S 72°30′00″W / 40.000°S 72.500°W / -40.000; -72.500
1936-07-13 7.3 MS 60 24°30′00″S 70°00′00″W / 24.500°S 70.000°W / -24.500; -70.000
Chillán 1939-01-24 8.3 Mw 60 36°12′00″S 72°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″S 70°30′00″W / 27.000°S 70.500°W / -27.000; -70.500
1940-10-11 7.0 MS 41°30′00″S 74°30′00″W / 41.500°S 74.500°W / -41.500; -74.500
1942-07-08 7.0 MS 140 24°00′00″S 70°00′00″W / 24.000°S 70.000°W / -24.000; -70.000
1943-03-14 7.2 MS 150 20°00′00″S 69°30′00″W / 20.000°S 69.500°W / -20.000; -69.500
Ovalle 1943-04-06 8.2 MW 55 30°45′00″S 72°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″S 69°00′00″W / 21.000°S 69.000°W / -21.000; -69.000
1945-07-13 7.1 MS 100 33°15′00″S 70°30′00″W / 33.250°S 70.500°W / -33.250; -70.500
1946-08-02 7.9 MS 50 26°30′00″S 70°30′00″W / 26.500°S 70.500°W / -26.500; -70.500
1949-04-19 7.3 MS 70 38°00′00″S 73°30′00″W / 38.000°S 73.500°W / -38.000; -73.500
1949-04-25 7.3 MS 110 19°45′00″S 69°00′00″W / 19.750°S 69.000°W / -19.750; -69.000
1949-05-29 7.0 MS 100 22°00′00″S 69°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″S 71°00′00″W / 54.000°S 71.000°W / -54.000; -71.000/54°0′0″S 68°46′11″W / 54.00000°S 68.76972°W / -54.00000; -68.76972[5] [5]
1949-12-17 7.8 MS 54°00′00″S 71°00′00″W / 54.000°S 71.000°W / -54.000; -71.000
1950-01-29 7.0 MS 53°30′00″S 71°30′00″W / 53.500°S 71.500°W / -53.500; -71.500
Calama 1950-12-09 8.3 MS 100 23°30′00″S 67°30′00″W / 23.500°S 67.500°W / -23.500; -67.500
1953-05-06 7.6 MS 60 36°30′00″S 72°36′00″W / 36.500°S 72.600°W / -36.500; -72.600
1953-12-06 7.4 MS 128 22°06′00″S 68°42′00″W / 22.100°S 68.700°W / -22.100; -68.700
1954-02-08 7.7 MS 29°00′00″S 70°30′00″W / 29.000°S 70.500°W / -29.000; -70.500
1955-04-19 7.1 MS 30°00′00″S 72°00′00″W / 30.000°S 72.000°W / -30.000; -72.000 Tsunami
1956-01-08 7.1 MS 11 19°00′00″S 70°00′00″W / 19.000°S 70.000°W / -19.000; -70.000
1956-12-17 7.0 MS 25°30′00″S 68°30′00″W / 25.500°S 68.500°W / -25.500; -68.500
1957-07-29 7.0 MS 23°30′00″S 71°30′00″W / 23.500°S 71.500°W / -23.500; -71.500
1959-06-13 7.5 MS 83 20°25′12″S 69°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″S 73°30′00″W / 37.500°S 73.500°W / -37.500; -73.500 125
1960-05-22 7.3 MS 37°30′00″S 73°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″S 74°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″S 73°30′00″W / 38.000°S 73.500°W / -38.000; -73.500
1960-11-01 7.4 MS 55 38°30′00″S 75°06′00″W / 38.500°S 75.100°W / -38.500; -75.100
1961-07-13 7.0 MS 40 41°42′00″S 75°12′00″W / 41.700°S 75.200°W / -41.700; -75.200
1962-02-14 7.3 MS 45 37°48′00″S 72°30′00″W / 37.800°S 72.500°W / -37.800; -72.500
1962-08-03 7.1 MS 107 23°18′00″S 68°06′00″W / 23.300°S 68.100°W / -23.300; -68.100
Taltal 1965-02-23 7.0 MS 36 25°40′12″S 70°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″S 71°06′00″W / 32.418°S 71.100°W / -32.418; -71.100 400
1966-12-28 7.8 MS 23 25°30′36″S 70°44′24″W / 25.510°S 70.740°W / -25.510; -70.740
1967-03-13 7.3 MS 33 40°07′12″S 74°40′48″W / 40.120°S 74.680°W / -40.120; -74.680
1967-12-21 7.5 MS 33 21°48′00″S 70°00′00″W / 21.800°S 70.000°W / -21.800; -70.000
1971-06-17 7.0 MS 76 25°24′07″S 69°03′29″W / 25.402°S 69.058°W / -25.402; -69.058
Illapel 1971-07-08 7.5 MS 40 32°30′40″S 71°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″S 73°25′52″W / 38.453°S 73.431°W / -38.453; -73.431
1975-05-10 7.7 MS 6 38°10′59″S 73°13′55″W / 38.183°S 73.232°W / -38.183; -73.232
1976-11-29 7.3 MS 82 20°31′12″S 68°55′08″W / 20.520°S 68.919°W / -20.520; -68.919
1979-08-03 7.0 MS 49 26°31′05″S 70°39′50″W / 26.518°S 70.664°W / -26.518; -70.664
1981-10-16 7.5 MS 33 33°08′02″S 73°04′26″W / 33.134°S 73.074°W / -33.134; -73.074
1983-10-04 7.3 MS 14 26°32′06″S 70°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″S 71°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″S 71°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″S 70°09′40″W / 24.388°S 70.161°W / -24.388; -70.161 Tsunami
1987-08-08 7.1 MS 42 19°00′00″S 70°00′00″W / 19.000°S 70.000°W / -19.000; -70.000
Antofagasta 1995-07-30 8.0 MW 47 23°21′36″S 70°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″S 71°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″S 70°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″S 69°07′30″W / 19.895°S 69.125°W / -19.895; -69.125/19°56′02″S 69°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′S 72°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″S 70°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″S 73°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″S 71°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″S 73°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″S 71°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″S 70°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″S 70°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″S 70°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″S 70°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″S 70°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″S 70°29′35″W / 20.571°S 70.493°W / -20.571; -70.493 Tsunami
Easter Island 2014-10-08 7.0 Mw I 16.5 32°06′29″S 110°48′40″W / 32.108°S 110.811°W / -32.108; -110.811 Tsunami
Illapel, Coquimbo 2015-09-16 8.3 Mw IX 20 31°34′S 71°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″S 73°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″S 71°25′23″W / 30.074°S 71.423°W / -30.074; -71.423 2
Los Lagos 2019-09-26 6.1 Mw IV 129 40°48′58″S 72°00′11″W / 40.816°S 72.003°W / -40.816; -72.003 1
Maule 2019-09-29 6.8 Mw VI 11 35°28′23″S 73°09′43″W / 35.473°S 73.162°W / -35.473; -73.162 1
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

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. ^ : Significant Earthquake, NOAA, 2019-10-03.
  5. ^ a b 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". Earthquake.usgs.gov. Archived from the original on 2011-01-05. Retrieved 2012-04-12.
  9. ^ USGS, United States Geological Survey (25 March 2012). "Magnitud 7.1 MAULE, CHILE". Archived from the original on 27 March 2012. Retrieved 25 March 2012.
  10. ^ USGS, United States Geological Survey (30 January 2013). "M 6.8 – 54 km N of Vallenar, Chile". Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  11. ^ "Chile earthquake: 2 dead, 3 seriously injured". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 2 April 2014.
  12. ^ "M7.6 – 39km SSW of Puerto Quellon, Chile". USGS. December 25, 2016. Retrieved December 26, 2016.

External links

Map all coordinates using: OpenStreetMap Download coordinates as: KML GPX (all coordinates) GPX (primary coordinates) GPX (secondary coordinates)
Geology of Chile
Earthquakes in Chile
List of earthquakes in South America
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