Historical tsunamis · Nov 7, 1837, 12:51 PM UTC
1837 Southern Chile tsunami
Chile
The tsunami of Nov 7, 1837, 12:51 PM UTC originated near Southern Chile (Chile).
Key facts
- Date
- Nov 7, 1837, 12:51 PM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M8.5
- Maximum documented water height
- 6.00 m
- Deaths
- 16
- Houses destroyed
- many (about 101–1,000)
- Damage
- severe (about US$ 5–25 million)
- Observation records
- 18
- Countries affected
- 7
It was triggered by a magnitude 8.5 earthquake.
The highest documented water height was 6.00 m (Hilo, Hawaii, Hi, United States).
18 observation sites in 7 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 16 deaths.
Houses destroyed: many (about 101–1,000).
Damage is estimated at severe (about US$ 5–25 million).
Map of observation sites
18Each 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)
- 15:30 hUnited States · Honolulu, Oahu, Hi · 2.50 m
2 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 United States | 5 | 6.00 m Hilo, Hawaii, Hi | 16 | 15:30 h |
 French Polynesia | 2 | 2.00 m Mangareva Island | — | — |
| USA Territory | 1 | 0.60 m Pago Pago, American Samoa | — | — |
 Samoa | 1 | 0.40 m Apia, Upolu Island | — | — |
| Chile | 5 | — | — | — |
 Japan | 3 | — | — | — |
 Tonga | 1 | — | — | — |
Highest documented water heights
15 / 18Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hilo, Hawaii, Hi · Hi | 6.00 m | 10,766 km | United States |
| Honolulu, Oahu, Hi · Hi | 2.50 m | 11,099 km | United States |
| Lahaina, Maui, Hi · Hi | 2.50 m | 10,976 km | United States |
| Mangareva Island · Gambier Islands | 2.00 m | 5,962 km | French Polynesia |
| Pago Pago, American Samoa · As | 0.60 m | 9,488 km | USA Territory |
| Apia, Upolu Island | 0.40 m | 9,607 km | Samoa |
| Ancud, Isla de Chiloe · Los Lagos | — | 72 km | Chile |
| Concepcion Bay · Biobio | — | 646 km | Chile |
| Hakaaano, Molokai, Hi · Hi | — | 11,007 km | United States |
| Isla Lemu · Aysen | — | 303 km | Chile |
| Kahului, Maui, Hi · Hi | — | 10,962 km | United States |
| Kesen · Miyagi | — | 17,011 km | Japan |
| Mancera Island · Los Rios | — | 296 km | Chile |
| Motoyoshi · Miyagi | — | 17,014 km | Japan |
| Ojika · Miyagi | — | 16,992 km | Japan |
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.