Valparaíso earthquake and tsunami

Background. Valparaíso is a major city, seaport, and naval base facility in the Valparaíso Region of Chile. Chile lies along a highly seismic and volcanic zone, part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, due to the subduction of the Nazca and Antarctic plates beneath the South American Plate. Between 1810 and 1830, an unnamed builder constructed much of the existing port of Valparaíso, including land reclamation work that now comprises the city's commercial center.

Impact. The violent earthquake caused extensive damage to Valparaíso. Casualties included at least 66 adults and 12 children, with 110 people wounded out of a population of 16,000. The event also triggered a moderate tsunami measuring up to 12 feet (3.7 meters) along the Chilean coast.

Geological Context. Chile is located along a highly seismic and volcanic zone, part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, due to the subduction of the Nazca and Antarctic plates in the South American Plate. In her journal accounts, Graham speculated that repeated earthquakes could be responsible for the general elevation of land and the building of mountains in places like the Andes. This speculation was later taken up by Charles Lyell and then Charles Darwin, who was in Chile 13 years later and experienced the 1835 Concepción earthquake firsthand.