1868 Arica earthquake and Pacific tsunami
- When
- 1868
- Where
- Arica, Peru; Chatham Islands, New Zealand
- Episodes
- 3
The 13 August 1868 Arica earthquake struck near Arica, then part of Peru, causing widespread destruction and a basin-wide Pacific tsunami. Estimated magnitude ranges vary between 8.5–9.3 and 8.8–9.1. The event resulted in approximately 25,000 casualties in southern Peru and northern Chile, with tsunami waves recorded in Hawaii, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand.
Episodes
- 1868 Arica Earthquake
A major earthquake struck near Arica, causing widespread destruction and approximately 25,000 casualties in southern Peru and northern Chile.
- Pacific Tsunami Observations
The earthquake generated a tsunami recorded in Hawaii, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand, with fatal impacts in New Zealand.
- Tsunami Waves at Arica
Tsunami waves reached Arica 52 minutes after the earthquake, with heights of 12 m and 16 m.
Background and detail
Magnitude and Damage. Estimates for the earthquake's magnitude range from 8.5–9.3 in earlier studies to 8.8–9.1 in recent modeling. The quake caused almost complete destruction in southern Peru, resulting in an estimated 25,000 casualties and numerous shipwrecks. Most damage was localized along the coasts of southern Peru and northernmost Chile.
Tsunami Impact. The earthquake generated a tsunami recorded across the Pacific in Hawaii, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. In New Zealand, it was the only fatal tsunami on record, causing substantial damage on the Chatham Islands and washing an estimated 20 people out to sea. The first wave reached Arica 52 minutes after the quake.
People involved
- Carvajal et al. · Collective authorial attribution: researchers of a 2025 study arguing for magnitude 8.8–9.1 (identity unresolved; not an established staged Person)
Sources
- 1868 Arica earthquake Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-09
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.