April 18, 1939 Earthquake: North Central, Chile

Date

April 18, 1939

Time

06:22:45 UTC

Place

North Central, Chile

Magnitude

7.4 (Ms)

Focal depth

100 km (62 mi)

Tsunami

Yes: the tsunami it caused

Epicenter

27.000° S, 70.500° W

Country

Chile

The record gives no deaths, injuries or damage for this earthquake.

• November 11, 1922, Atacama, ChileM8.5 · 700 deaths · 157 km
• October 5, 1859, ChileM7.6 · 10 deaths · 339 houses destroyed · 42 km
• October 4, 1983, Copoapo-Chanaral, Northern, ChileM7.3 · 5 deaths · $1 million · 40 houses destroyed · 52 km
• December 28, 1966, Taltal, Catalina, ChileM7.8 · 3 deaths · $400,000 · 168 km
• August 2, 1946, Northern, ChileM7.9 · 2 deaths · 56 km
• March 30, 1796, Copiapo, Vallenar, Huasco, Coquimbo, ChileM7.7 · Deaths: few · 42 km
• August 24, 1798, Copiapo, Chile42 km
• March 13, 1846, Coiapo, Chile42 km
• May 26, 1851, Copiapo, ChileM7.2 · 42 km
• April 3, 1819, Copiapo, ChileM8 · 49 km
• April 4, 1819, Copiapo, ChileM8 · Deaths: many · 49 km
• August 3, 1978, Copiapo-Taltai, Northern, ChileM7 · 55 km
• June 8, 1909, ChileM7.6 · 56 km
• April 18, 2002, Copiapo, Taltal, ChileM6.6 · 34 houses destroyed · 60 km
• April 12, 1819, Copiapo, ChileM8.5 · Deaths: few · 99 km

Significant earthquakes of 1939The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1939Recent earthquakes near hereThis day in weather history

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 6340.