February 8, 1570 Tsunami: Central Chile
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 8.3 earthquake began at Central Chile on February 8, 1570 at 13:00 UTC. Its effects were recorded at 1 place. It killed 2,000 people.
Where the waves reached
The source (white) and every runup with a place, colored by the water height recorded there. A ring is a runup NCEI marks doubtful.
- Under 1 m
- 1 to 3 m
- 3 to 10 m
- 10 to 30 m
- 30 m and more
- Height not recorded
The tsunami
- Date
- February 8, 1570, 13:00 UTC
- Source
- Central Chile
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 8.3
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
- 3
- Tsunami magnitude (Iida)
- 2
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Probable tsunami
- Source location
- 36.750° S, 73.000° W
The toll
- Deaths
- 2,000
- Damage
- Severe (about $5 to $25 million)
- Houses destroyed
- Many (101 to 1,000)
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.
1570, Feb 8, 09:00 (local time). The ocean near Concepcion, then situated on the ocean shore in the area of the present city of Penco, receded for ten kilometers (several leagues) and then completely inundated the town, completing its destruction and leaving ships on dry land. Several other settlements were completely washed away. Although the majority of the inhabitants managed to save themselves by moving to higher ground after the first strong ebb, more than 2000 persons perished.
The descriptions of the Oct 28, 1562 and Feb 8, 1570 events are very similar. Therefore, it is possible that in reality only one catastrophic tsunami occurred in 1570.
(above from reference #415)
The city was located at its initial site fronting the Bay of Talcahuano, near the present location of Penco. The effects of the shock were comparable to those of the 1835 earthquake. The epicenter was probably offshore and there was a major tsunami. The initial pulse of the tsunami was upward and the population took heed and escaped to high ground. No Spanish settlers were killed. (reference #12425)
Every runup
Nearest the source first. Heights are above sea level at the time; a tide gauge reads half the wave’s full height.
| Where | Country | Km from source | Water height, m | Inland, m | Measured by | First wave, UTC | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old Concepcion | Chile | 2 | Eyewitness observation of water height | 2,000 |
More
Every tsunami in 1570The 1500sTsunamis of ChileThe earthquakeThis day in weather historyAlerts in force
Sources
Tsunami events and runups 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 tsunami event 179.