Historical tsunamis · May 21, 1960, 10:02 AM UTC
1960 Central Chile tsunami
Chile
The tsunami of May 21, 1960, 10:02 AM UTC originated near Central Chile (Chile).
Key facts
- Date
- May 21, 1960, 10:02 AM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M8.2
- Depth
- 35 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 0.50 m
- Deaths
- few (up to about 50)
- Injuries
- many (about 101–1,000)
- Damage
- limited (under US$ 1 million)
- Observation records
- 7
- Countries affected
- 2
It was triggered by a magnitude 8.2 earthquake at a depth of 35 km.
The highest documented water height was 0.50 m (Talcahuano, Chile).
7 observation sites in 2 countries are recorded.
Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at Hilo, Hawaii, Hi (United States) after 14:42 h.
The database records few (up to about 50) deaths.
Damage is estimated at limited (under US$ 1 million).
Map of observation sites
7Each 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) · May 21, 1960, 10:02 AM UTC
- 1:07 hChile · Talcahuano · 0.50 m
- 14:42 hUnited States · Hilo, Hawaii, Hi · 0.10 m
3 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chile | 6 | 0.50 m Talcahuano | — | 1:07 h |
 United States | 1 | 0.10 m Hilo, Hawaii, Hi | — | 14:42 h |
Highest documented water heights
7 / 7Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Talcahuano · Biobio | 0.50 m | 131 km | Chile |
| Valparaiso · Valparaiso | 0.30 m | 557 km | Chile |
| Hilo, Hawaii, Hi · Hi | 0.10 m | 10,647 km | United States |
| Antofagasta · Antofagasta | — | 1,600 km | Chile |
| Arica · Arica Y Parinacota | — | 2,168 km | Chile |
| Caldera · Atacama | — | 1,220 km | Chile |
| Coquimbo · Coquimbo | — | 896 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.