Historical tsunamis · Nov 11, 1922, 4:32 AM UTC
1922 Northern Chile tsunami
Chile
The tsunami of Nov 11, 1922, 4:32 AM UTC originated near Northern Chile (Chile).
Key facts
- Date
- Nov 11, 1922, 4:32 AM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M8.5
- Depth
- 70 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 5.50 m
- Deaths
- 700
- Houses destroyed
- many (about 101–1,000)
- Damage
- severe (about US$ 5–25 million)
- Observation records
- 41
- Countries affected
- 11
It was triggered by a magnitude 8.5 earthquake at a depth of 70 km.
The highest documented water height was 5.50 m (Caldera, Chile).
41 observation sites in 11 countries are recorded.
Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at San Diego, Ca (United States) after 12:46 h.
The database records 700 deaths.
Houses destroyed: many (about 101–1,000).
Damage is estimated at severe (about US$ 5–25 million).
Map of observation sites
41Each dot is a documented observation site; colour and size show the observed water height. The triangle marks the source.
Tsunami arrival times
Documented arrival times from the NOAA/NCEI database, showing the earliest recorded location per country. Coverage is incomplete: a country without an entry was not necessarily spared.
- 0:00 hEarthquake (origin) · Nov 11, 1922, 4:32 AM UTC
- 0:20 hChile · Taltal
- 12:46 hUnited States · San Diego, Ca · 0.20 m
- 14:06 hSamoa · Apia, Upolu Island
- 15:57 hCanada · Tofino (Clayoquot),British Columbia · 0.14 m
- 21:50 hJapan · Hanasaki · 0.30 m
- 25:16 hTaiwan · Keelung · 0.03 m
17 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chile | 13 | 5.50 m Caldera | 220 | 0:20 h |
 Peru | 1 | 2.40 m Callao | — | — |
 United States | 6 | 2.10 m Hilo, Hawaii, Hi | — | 12:46 h |
| USA Territory | 1 | 0.90 m Pago Pago, American Samoa | — | — |
 Japan | 10 | 0.30 m Ayukawa | — | 21:50 h |
 Australia | 1 | 0.20 m Sydney | — | — |
 New Zealand | 2 | 0.18 m Port Chalmers | — | — |
 Canada | 1 | 0.14 m Tofino (Clayoquot),British Columbia | — | 15:57 h |
 Philippines | 2 | 0.10 m Zamboanga | — | — |
 Taiwan | 3 | 0.03 m Keelung | — | 25:16 h |
 Samoa | 1 | — | — | 14:06 h |
Highest documented water heights
15 / 41Individual documented observations for this event. Heights come from different measurement types and sources; not every location has a measured height.
| Location / station | Observed height | Distance from source | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caldera · Atacama | 5.50 m | 167 km | Chile |
| Chanaral · Atacama | 5.50 m | 227 km | Chile |
| Huasco · Atacama | 5.50 m | 136 km | Chile |
| Coquimbo · Coquimbo | 4.60 m | 234 km | Chile |
| Callao · Callao | 2.40 m | 1,952 km | Peru |
| Hilo, Hawaii, Hi · Hi | 2.10 m | 10,583 km | United States |
| Pago Pago, American Samoa · As | 0.90 m | 10,299 km | USA Territory |
| Ayukawa · Miyagi | 0.30 m | 16,918 km | Japan |
| Hanasaki · Hokkaido | 0.30 m | 16,449 km | Japan |
| Honolulu, Oahu, Hi · Hi | 0.30 m | 10,924 km | United States |
| Kushimoto · Wakayama | 0.30 m | 17,516 km | Japan |
| Hososhima · Miyazaki | 0.20 m | 17,912 km | Japan |
| San Diego, Ca · Ca | 0.20 m | 8,402 km | United States |
| Sydney | 0.20 m | 11,884 km | Australia |
| Port Chalmers | 0.18 m | 9,787 km | New Zealand |
More tsunamis
Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), Global Historical Tsunami Database. Confirmed events only. Deaths and damage are database estimates; older records are incomplete. Water heights come from different types of observation.