Historical tsunamis · Feb 20, 1835, 4:22 PM UTC
1835 Central Chile tsunami
Chile
The tsunami of Feb 20, 1835, 4:22 PM UTC originated near Central Chile (Chile).
Key facts
- Date
- Feb 20, 1835, 4:22 PM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M8.2
- Maximum documented water height
- 24.0 m
- Deaths
- 53
- Injuries
- 500
- Houses destroyed
- many (about 101–1,000)
- Damage
- extreme (over US$ 25 million)
- Observation records
- 21
- Countries affected
- 2
It was triggered by a magnitude 8.2 earthquake.
The highest documented water height was 24.0 m (Coelemu, Chile).
21 observation sites in 2 countries are recorded.
The database records 53 deaths.
Houses destroyed: many (about 101–1,000).
Damage is estimated at extreme (over US$ 25 million).
Map of observation sites
21Each 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)
- 0:30 hChile · Talcahuano · 9.00 m
1 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chile | 20 | 24.0 m Coelemu | 3 | 0:30 h |
 New Zealand | 1 | — | — | — |
Highest documented water heights
15 / 21Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coelemu · Nuble | 24.00 m | 49 km | Chile |
| Concepcion Bay · Biobio | 9.00 m | 12 km | Chile |
| Quiriquina Island · Biobio | 9.00 m | 22 km | Chile |
| Talcahuano · Biobio | 9.00 m | 15 km | Chile |
| Cumberland, Juan Fernandez Island · Valparaiso (Juan Fernandez) | 4.50 m | 637 km | Chile |
| Coliumo Bay · Biobio | 4.00 m | 34 km | Chile |
| Tome · Biobio | 4.00 m | 25 km | Chile |
| Maule River · Maule | 3.50 m | 177 km | Chile |
| Valparaiso · Valparaiso | 0.50 m | 440 km | Chile |
| Ancud, Isla de Chiloe · Los Lagos | — | 563 km | Chile |
| Arauco · Biobio | — | 52 km | Chile |
| Bay of Islands · Northland Classified as doubtful | — | 9,442 km | New Zealand |
| Castro, Isla de Chiloe · Los Lagos | — | 630 km | Chile |
| Constitucion · Maule | — | 175 km | Chile |
| Isla Lemu · Aysen | — | 938 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.