May 21, 1960 Earthquake: Central, Chile

Name: May 21, 1960 Earthquake: Central, Chile
Start: 1960-05-21
Location: Central, Chile

May 21, 1960 · M8.2 · Deaths: few

A magnitude 8.2 earthquake struck Central, Chile on May 21, 1960 at 10:02:50 UTC, 35 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 21, 1960
Time: 10:02:50 UTC
Place: Central, Chile
Magnitude: 8.2 (Mw)
Focal depth: 35 km (22 mi)
Tsunami: Yes: the tsunami it caused
Epicenter: 37.872° S, 73.243° W
Country: Chile

The toll

Deaths: Few (about 1 to 50)
Injuries: Many (about 101 to 1,000)
Damage: Limited (under about $1 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.

What the record says

NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.

1960, May 21, 10:02:50 UTC. 37.5 S, 73.5 W, magnitude 7.5 MS. Several injured and moderate property damage at Concepcion and surrounding area. A very small tsunami of scientific interest only, was generated a day earlier [May 21, 1960] by a foreshock centered at 37.5 south, 73.5 west. (reference #45)

1960, May 21, 10:02:50 UTC. 37.5 S, 73.5 W, magnitude 7.25 MS, shallow depth. (reference #88)

May 21, 1960, 10:02:50 UTC, 37.5 S, 73.5 W, magnitude 7.3 MS, tsunami, casualties. (reference #1206)

1960, May 21, 10:02:57.7 UTC. 37.872 S, 73.243 W, depth 35 km, magnitude 8.2 Mw. (reference #9910)

1960, May 21, 10:02:57.56 UTC. 37.824 S, 73.353 W, depth 25 km, magnitude 8.1 Mw. (reference #10476)

Other significant earthquakes nearby

Within 200 km, the deadliest first.

Significant earthquakes of 1960 The 1900s Every quake the USGS located in 1960 Recent earthquakes near here This 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 4223.