March 10, 1681 Earthquake: Chile

Name: March 10, 1681 Earthquake: Chile
Start: 1681-03-10
Location: Chile

March 10, 1681 · M7.5

A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck Chile on March 10, 1681. It caused a tsunami.

Map

Where it struck, with the other significant earthquakes within 200 km. Circles are sized and colored by magnitude; select one for its page.

The earthquake

Date: March 10, 1681
Place: Chile
Magnitude: 7.5 (Ms)
Intensity: 10 on the Modified Mercalli scale
Tsunami: Yes: the tsunami it caused
Epicenter: 18.500° S, 70.350° W
Country: Chile

The toll

The record gives no deaths, injuries or damage for this earthquake.

What the record says

NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.

March 10, 1681 (Monday). Arica. This earthquake was similar in its effects to September 16, 1615. There was no tsunami. The Arica Archives mention that the population, "including some veteran survivors of the terrible sea wave of 1604" climbed the Morro in order to escape a possible repetition of that disaster. This is an indirect proof of the absence of a destructive tsunami in 1615. There are no notices of damage beyond Arica. The magnitude may be estimated at 7-7 1/2. (reference #252)

March 10, 1681, 18.5 S, 70.35 W, magnitude 7.3 MS, intensity X, casualties. (reference #1206)

Other significant earthquakes nearby

Within 200 km, the deadliest first.

Significant earthquakes of 1681 The 1600s Recent earthquakes near here This day in weather history

Sources

Significant earthquakes from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-09-24. NCEI earthquake 1090.