December 7, 1953 Earthquake: Northern, Chile

Date

December 7, 1953

Time

02:05:00 UTC

Place

Northern, Chile

Magnitude

7.4

Focal depth

128 km (80 mi)

Tsunami

None recorded

Epicenter

22.100° S, 68.700° W

Country

Chile

Deaths

3

Damage

$7.3 million

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.

• May 10, 1877, Off North Coast, ChileM8.3 · 2,385 deaths · 197 km
• November 14, 2007, Tocopilla, Maria Elena, ChileM7.7 · 2 deaths · 124 km
• December 21, 1967, Northern, ChileM7.5 · 1 death · 94 km
• July 19, 2024, Northern, ChileM7.4 · 1 death · 141 km
• November 30, 1976, Pozo Almonte, Oficina Victoria, Arica, ChileM7.3 · 1 death · 177 km
• December 9, 1950, Chile-ArgentinaM8 · 1 death · 198 km
• April 22, 1870, Chile49 km
• December 26, 1948, Antofagasta, ChileM7 · 54 km
• October 19, 1929, ChileM7.5 · 105 km
• August 25, 1916, Bolivia-Northern ChileM7.5 · 142 km
• November 28, 1970, Northern, ChileM6 · 173 km
• July 3, 1836, Cobija, ChileM7.5 · 174 km
• May 15, 1877, Huanillos, Northern, Chile176 km
• August 21, 1869, Iquique, ChileM6.8 · 182 km
• November 3, 1933, ChileM5.5 · 186 km

Significant earthquakes of 1953The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1953Recent 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 4033.