Historical tsunamis · Nov 17, 1849, 10:10 AM UTC
1849 Central Chile tsunami
Chile
The tsunami of Nov 17, 1849, 10:10 AM UTC originated near Central Chile (Chile).
Key facts
- Date
- Nov 17, 1849, 10:10 AM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M7.5
- Maximum documented water height
- 5.00 m
- Deaths
- few (up to about 50)
- Damage
- limited (under US$ 1 million)
- Observation records
- 3
- Countries affected
- 1
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.5 earthquake.
The highest documented water height was 5.00 m (Caldera, Chile).
3 observation sites in 1 countries are recorded.
The database records few (up to about 50) deaths.
Damage is estimated at limited (under US$ 1 million).
Map of observation sites
3Each 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 · Coquimbo · 5.00 m
1 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chile | 3 | 5.00 m Caldera | — | 0:30 h |
Highest documented water heights
3 / 3Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caldera · Atacama | 5.00 m | 324 km | Chile |
| Coquimbo · Coquimbo | 5.00 m | 3 km | Chile |
| La Serena · Coquimbo | — | 12 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.