December 1, 1806 Earthquake: Lima, Peru
A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck Lima, Peru on December 1, 1806 at 23:00 UTC, 30 km below the surface. 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
- December 1, 1806
- Time
- 23:00 UTC
- Place
- Lima, Peru
- Magnitude
- 7.5 (Ms)
- Focal depth
- 30 km (19 mi)
- Intensity
- 8 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 12.100° S, 77.100° W
- Country
- Peru
The toll
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million)
Where the literature gives no number, NCEI records a description on a scale of 1 to 4, printed here in its words. Damage is in millions of US dollars of the year of the event, not adjusted for inflation.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
December 1, 1806. Lima experienced a severe earthquake at 18:00 hours. At 20:00 the sea rose above the shore at Callao, flooding the town; and at 21:30 a 1 m high wave cast several vessels ashore and damaged others. (reference #415)
December 1, 1806, 23:00 UTC, 12 S, 78 W, depth 30 km, intensity VII, tsunami. (reference #1208)
December 1, 1806, 23:00 UTC, 12 S, 78 W, depth 30 km, intensity VIII, magnitude 7.5. (reference #1221)
December 1, 1806, Peru, Lima, intensity I which corresponds to an earthquake of intensity sufficient to crack walls, break chimneys, to shatter old buildings or to produce cracks in the ground. (reference #1055)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- 1657, Lima,callao, Peru
- 1654, Lima, Chile, Peru
- October 29, 1746, Lima, Callao, Peru
- October 20, 1687, Lima, Peru
- August 15, 2007, Ica, Pisco, Lima, Peru
- May 24, 1940, Peru
- October 3, 1974, Lima, Callao, Peru
- March 30, 1828, Lima, Callao, Peru
- July 10, 1586, Lima, Peru
- December 24, 1937, Huancabamba,oxapampa,el Progreso,san David, Peru
- January 5, 1974, Lima, Yauyos, Peru
- April 18, 1993, Lima, Peru
- July 19, 2026, Junin, Peru
- January 8, 1865, Peru
- May 28, 1948, Canete, Peru
More
Significant earthquakes of 1806The 1800sRecent earthquakes near hereThis 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 1579.