Santiago

Earthquakes near Santiago through history

From 1900 to October 19, 2026, USGS recorded 16 earthquakes of magnitude 6 or more within 100 km of Santiago, or 200 km for magnitude 7 and above. 8 of them reached magnitude 7 or more; the strongest on either list was an estimated magnitude 9.1 on July 8, 1730 (Valparaiso).

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The last 30 days · as of

USGS recorded no earthquake of magnitude 4.5 or more within 100 km of Santiago in the last 30 days.

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What the record holds

The deadliest was not the strongest: a magnitude 8.2 on August 17, 1906 (The 1906 Valparaiso, Chile Earthquake), for which NOAA records 4,000 deaths. NOAA’s list of significant earthquakes has 19 here, back to 1647. NOAA records deaths in 10 of the events here, 5,750 in all. The latest on NOAA’s list is a magnitude 5.4 on August 2, 2017 (8 km NNE of Chicureo Abajo, Chile). NOAA’s record here begins on May 14, 1647 with an earthquake (Santiago). 11 of the 19 significant earthquakes NOAA lists here came before 1927. NOAA lists 2 tsunamis that began within 100 km of Santiago, and 3 from elsewhere that reached it with deaths or a metre of water or more. The highest water NOAA records here was 5.53 m, on February 27, 2010.

The events

  • August 2, 2017Earthquake · M 5.48 km NNE of Chicureo Abajo, Chile · one death (NOAA)USGS · NOAA NCEI
  • February 27, 2010Tsunami · 5.53 m hereCentral ChileNOAA NCEI · Wikipedia
  • August 17, 1906Earthquake · M 8.2The 1906 Valparaiso, Chile Earthquake · 4,000 deaths (NOAA)USGS · NOAA NCEI · Wikipedia
  • July 8, 1730Earthquake · M 9.1 (est.)Valparaiso · 5 deaths (NOAA)NOAA NCEI · Wikipedia
  • May 14, 1647Earthquake · M 8.5 (est.)Santiago · 1,000 deaths (NOAA)NOAA NCEI · Wikipedia

Good to know

  • An event counts for Santiago when it began within 100 km of its centre, or 200 km for an earthquake of magnitude 7 or more. Damage can reach further.
  • USGS counts here start at magnitude 6: the catalogue’s smaller quakes thin out going back, where few instruments listened.
  • NOAA lists significant events only: earthquakes that killed, did about $1 million of damage, reached magnitude 7.5 or intensity X, or raised a tsunami, and eruptions and tsunamis by like measures. Magnitudes before 1900 are its estimates from written accounts.
  • Deaths are NOAA’s total for each event, wherever people died, its tsunami and fires included. A tsunami counts the dead its runup records give for this place: NOAA’s total for a tsunami includes its source quake’s.
  • A tsunami from elsewhere counts where one of its runups killed or rose a metre or more.
  • Counted to October 19, 2026, as is the map. The last 30 days ask USGS again.

How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Earthquakes, live, The world through history

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