Significant earthquakes of 1872

January 10, 1872 Earthquake: Arequipa, Peru

January 10, 1872 · M6.5

A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck Arequipa, Peru on January 10, 1872. 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
January 10, 1872
Place
Arequipa, Peru
Magnitude
6.5 (Ms)
Epicenter
16.400° S, 71.500° 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.

On January 10, 1872, at 7:17 [local time] there was a terrible earthquake at Arequipa, beginning with an abrupt shock and a deafening rumble and lasting about a half minute. Recurrent shocks of lesser strength were felt for an hour. The earthquake coincided with the strongest flood tides of the year. (reference #415)

Other significant earthquakes nearby

Within 200 km, the deadliest first.

More

Significant earthquakes of 1872The 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 7540.