Significant earthquakes of 1846

March 13, 1846 Earthquake: Coiapo, Chile

March 13, 1846

An earthquake struck Coiapo, Chile on March 13, 1846 at 11:00 UTC.

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 13, 1846
Time
11:00 UTC
Place
Coiapo, Chile
Intensity
8 on the Modified Mercalli scale
Tsunami
None recorded
Epicenter
27.350° S, 70.350° W
Country
Chile

The toll

Damage
Moderate (about $1 to $5 million)
Houses destroyed
Many (101 to 1,000)

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.

1846, March 13, 7 a.m. Copiapo. Strong tremor that consternate the population. Hard 1 min and the most violent part only 20 seconds. One of the strongest since many years ago. There were no misfortunes. In the city there have been counted more than 40 sites where walls have fallen in the streets, and almost all the buildings have suffered. Also in the other populations of the department. Many pircas [stone masonry] collapsed in the minerals of San Antonio and Chanarcillo. (Intended for the Minister of the Interior by Ventura Lavalle, Intendant of Copiapo. (reference #3843)

1846, March 13, 11:00. 27.35 S, 70.35 W, intensity VIII, casualties. (reference #1206)

Other significant earthquakes nearby

Within 200 km, the deadliest first.

More

Significant earthquakes of 1846The 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 10222.