Significant earthquakes of 1871

February 5, 1871 Earthquake: Chincha Islands, Peru

February 5, 1871

An earthquake struck Chincha Islands, Peru on February 5, 1871. 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
February 5, 1871
Place
Chincha Islands, Peru
Epicenter
13.650° S, 76.400° W
Country
Peru

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.

February, from the 5th to 7th or even until the 9th, 1871. On

the Chincha Islands (Guano), there were strong oscillations in sea level with calm weather. The waves and resulting whirlpools almost damaged the ships. According to Diffenbach, this phenomenon was accompanied by an earthquake. (reference #415)

Other significant earthquakes nearby

Within 200 km, the deadliest first.

More

Significant earthquakes of 1871The 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 6171.