Significant earthquakes of 1923

May 4, 1923 Earthquake: Vallenar, Chile

May 4, 1923 · M7

A magnitude 7 earthquake struck Vallenar, Chile on May 4, 1923 at 22:26:45 UTC, 60 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
May 4, 1923
Time
22:26:45 UTC
Place
Vallenar, Chile
Magnitude
7 (Ms)
Focal depth
60 km (37 mi)
Epicenter
28.750° S, 71.750° W
Country
Chile

The toll

Damage
Moderate (about $1 to $5 million)
Houses destroyed
Some (about 51 to 100)
Houses damaged
Some (about 51 to 100)

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.

1923, May 4, 17:47:40 [local time]. Apparently, this was the strongest aftershock of the earthquake of l0.XI.1922. It was felt from Antofagasta to Santiago, and reached an intensity of 8 degrees. At Vallenar, many walls and several structures collapsed; there were no casualties. At Copiapo, the earthquake began with oscillations with an intensity of 5 degrees, later reaching 7 degrees; the earthquake lasted 3 1/2 minutes. Many walls in poor condition requiring repairs collapsed; partitions cracked; the populace was in a panic. There was a very strong earthquake at La Serena and Coquimbo, a strong one at Chanaral and a moderate or mild one at Illapel, Petorca, Quillota, Taltal and Antofagasta. A Japanese catalogue (Anon., 1961) indicates that after the earthquake, a tsunami fell on the coast of Chile.

Gutenberg, Richter (1954): 4.V; 22h26m45s; 28 3/4 deg S., 71

3/4 deg W.; 60 km; M=7. (reference #415)

1923, May 4, 1923, 22:26:45 UTC. 28.75 S, 71.75 W, depth 60 km, magnitude 7.0 MS. (reference #1206)

1923, May 4 22:26:51.31 UTC. 27.062 S, 69.78 W, depth 105.8 km, 6.7 mB, 6.4 Ms 7.0 G&R. (reference #9910)

Other significant earthquakes nearby

Within 200 km, the deadliest first.

More

Significant earthquakes of 1923The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1923Recent 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 6283.