Historical tsunamis · Mar 3, 1985, 10:47 PM UTC
1985 Central Chile tsunami
Chile
The tsunami of Mar 3, 1985, 10:47 PM UTC originated near Central Chile (Chile).
Key facts
- Date
- Mar 3, 1985, 10:47 PM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M8.0
- Depth
- 33 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 3.50 m
- Deaths
- 180
- Injuries
- 2,575
- Houses destroyed
- very many (over 1,000)
- Damage
- US$ 1,500 million
- Observation records
- 64
- Countries affected
- 7
It was triggered by a magnitude 8.0 earthquake at a depth of 33 km.
The highest documented water height was 3.50 m (San Antonio, Chile).
64 observation sites in 7 countries are recorded.
Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at Guayaquil (Ecuador) after 1:58 h.
The database records 180 deaths.
Houses destroyed: very many (over 1,000).
Damage is estimated at US$ 1,500 million.
Map of observation sites
64Each 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) · Mar 3, 1985, 10:47 PM UTC
- 0:03 hChile · Valparaiso · 1.15 m
- 1:58 hEcuador · Guayaquil · 0.20 m
- 13:55 hUnited States · Hilo, Hawaii, Hi · 0.24 m
- 21:45 hJapan · Chichijima Island · 0.16 m
- 22:23 hRussia · Petropavlovsk, Kamchatka · 0.02 m
44 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chile | 15 | 3.50 m San Antonio | — | 0:03 h |
 United States | 12 | 0.24 m Hilo, Hawaii, Hi | — | 13:55 h |
 Ecuador | 1 | 0.20 m Guayaquil | — | 1:58 h |
 Japan | 32 | 0.19 m Kushimoto | — | 21:45 h |
 French Polynesia | 2 | 0.10 m Papeete, Tahiti | — | — |
 China | 1 | 0.10 m Hong Kong | — | — |
 Russia | 1 | 0.02 m Petropavlovsk, Kamchatka | — | 22:23 h |
Highest documented water heights
15 / 64Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Antonio · Valparaiso | 3.50 m | 52 km | Chile |
| Costa Azul · Valparaiso | 3.00 m | 12 km | Chile |
| Matanzas · O'higgins | 3.00 m | 93 km | Chile |
| Talcahuano · Biobio | 3.00 m | 414 km | Chile |
| Cartagena · Valparaiso | 2.50 m | 45 km | Chile |
| Quintay · Valparaiso | 2.00 m | 7 km | Chile |
| Talcahuano · Biobio | 1.82 m | 415 km | Chile |
| Algarrobo · Valparaiso | 1.50 m | 26 km | Chile |
| Valparaiso · Valparaiso | 1.15 m | 14 km | Chile |
| Coquimbo · Coquimbo | 0.55 m | 355 km | Chile |
| Arica · Arica Y Parinacota | 0.50 m | 1,630 km | Chile |
| Hilo, Hawaii, Hi · Hi | 0.24 m | 10,597 km | United States |
| Iquique · Tarapaca | 0.23 m | 1,441 km | Chile |
| Caldera · Atacama | 0.20 m | 678 km | Chile |
| Guayaquil · Guayas | 0.20 m | 3,531 km | Ecuador |
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.