Historic Tsunami

1918 Chile Tsunami

4 December 1918 · Northern Chile · Chile

On 4 December 1918 at 11:47 UTC, a tsunami formed near Northern Chile, Chile. It was caused by a magnitude 7.8 earthquake. Waves reached up to 5.0 m high. It was observed at 4 locations in 2 countries or territories, up to 10,730 km from its source.

Date

4 December 1918

Time

11:47 UTC

Cause

Earthquake

Earthquake Magnitude

7.8

Highest Wave

5.0 m

Observation Sites

4

Furthest Reach

10,730 km

Source Country

Chile

Triggering Earthquake

M 7.8, 1918

Countries and Territories Reached

Number of observations, highest wave and deaths in each country.

• 1Chile · 5.0 m
• 3United States of America · 0.1 m

Highest Waves

• 5.0 mCaldera · Chile · 119 km
• 0.1 mHonolulu, Oahu, Hi · United States of America · 10,730 km
• 0.1 mSan Diego, Ca · United States of America · 8,134 km

Other Major Tsunamis in the Region

• 2007Northern Chile, Chile · 0.3 m2 deaths
• 1995Northern Chile, Chile · 3.0 m3 deaths
• 1983Northern Chile, Chile · 0.2 m5 deaths
• 1966Northern Chile, Chile · 0.4 m3 deaths
• 1936Northern Chile, Chile · 1.0 m1 deaths
• 1922Northern Chile, Chile · 5.5 m700 deaths

Sources: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Tsunami Database (doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7) · Natural Earth