Historic Tsunami

1985 Chile Tsunami

3 March 1985 · Central Chile · Chile

On 3 March 1985 at 22:47 UTC, a tsunami formed near Central Chile, Chile. It was caused by a magnitude 8.0 earthquake. Waves reached up to 3.5 m high. It was observed at 63 locations in 7 countries or territories, up to 18,671 km from its source. It killed at least 180 people and injured 2,575.

Date

3 March 1985

Time

22:47 UTC

Cause

Earthquake

Earthquake Magnitude

8.0

Highest Wave

3.5 m

Observation Sites

63

Furthest Reach

18,671 km

Deaths

180

Injuries

2,575

Estimated Damage

1.5 billion US dollars

Source Country

Chile

Triggering Earthquake

1985 Santiago Jimin

Countries and Territories Reached

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

• 15Chile · 3.5 m
• 11United States of America · 0.2 m
• 1Ecuador · 0.2 m
• 32Japan · 0.2 m
• 1China · 0.1 m
• 2French Polynesia · 0.1 m
• 1Russia

Highest Waves

• 3.5 mSan Antonio · Chile · 52 km
• 3.0 mTalcahuano · Chile · 414 km
• 3.0 mMatanzas · Chile · 93 km
• 3.0 mCosta Azul · Chile · 12 km
• 2.5 mCartagena · Chile · 45 km
• 2.0 mQuintay · Chile · 7 km
• 1.8 mTalcahuano · Chile · 415 km
• 1.5 mAlgarrobo · Chile · 26 km
• 1.2 mValparaiso · Chile · 14 km
• 0.6 mCoquimbo · Chile · 355 km

Other Major Tsunamis in the Region

• 2015Central Chile, Chile · 13.6 m15 deaths
• 2010Central Chile, Chile · 29.0 m558 deaths
• 1971Central Chile, Chile · 0.6 m83 deaths
• 1943Central Chile, Chile · 1.0 m11 deaths
• 1928Central Chile, Chile · 1.5 m279 deaths
• 1906Central Chile, Chile · 3.5 m4,000 deaths

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