Historical tsunamis · Apr 6, 1943, 4:07 PM UTC
1943 Central Chile tsunami
Chile
The tsunami of Apr 6, 1943, 4:07 PM UTC originated near Central Chile (Chile).
Key facts
- Date
- Apr 6, 1943, 4:07 PM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M8.2
- Depth
- 35 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 1.00 m
- Deaths
- 11
- Houses destroyed
- few (up to about 50)
- Damage
- limited (under US$ 1 million)
- Observation records
- 12
- Countries affected
- 3
It was triggered by a magnitude 8.2 earthquake at a depth of 35 km.
The highest documented water height was 1.00 m.
12 observation sites in 3 countries are recorded.
Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at Honolulu, Oahu, Hi (United States) after 15:30 h.
The database records 11 deaths.
Houses destroyed: few (up to about 50).
Damage is estimated at limited (under US$ 1 million).
Map of observation sites
12Each 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) · Apr 6, 1943, 4:07 PM UTC
- 0:22 hChile · Valparaiso · 0.40 m
- 15:30 hUnited States · Honolulu, Oahu, Hi · 0.01 m
- 23:25 hJapan · Kushimoto · 0.13 m
3 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chile | 2 | 0.40 m Valparaiso | — | 0:22 h |
 Japan | 5 | 0.15 m Nagasaki | — | 23:25 h |
 United States | 5 | 0.10 m Crescent City, Ca | — | 15:30 h |
Highest documented water heights
12 / 12Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valparaiso · Valparaiso | 0.40 m | 255 km | Chile |
| Nagasaki · Nagasaki | 0.15 m | 17,948 km | Japan |
| Kushimoto · Wakayama | 0.13 m | 17,396 km | Japan |
| Crescent City, Ca · Ca | 0.10 m | 9,647 km | United States |
| Shimosato · Wakayama | 0.10 m | 17,383 km | Japan |
| Hanasaki · Hokkaido | 0.05 m | 16,438 km | Japan |
| Uragami · Wakayama | 0.05 m | 17,385 km | Japan |
| San Francisco, Ca · Ca | 0.03 m | 9,225 km | United States |
| San Diego, Ca · Ca | 0.02 m | 8,484 km | United States |
| Terminal Island (Los Angeles), Ca · Ca | 0.02 m | 8,636 km | United States |
| Honolulu, Oahu, Hi · Hi | 0.01 m | 10,821 km | United States |
| Los Vilos · Coquimbo | — | 137 km | Chile |
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.