May 7, 1838 Tsunami: Central Chile
A tsunami caused by an earthquake began at Central Chile on May 7, 1838. The water rose as high as 0.8 meters. Its effects were recorded at 1 place.
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
- May 7, 1838
- Source
- Central Chile
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- The earthquake
- Maximum water height
- 0.8 m (2.6 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Questionable tsunami
- Source location
- 36.700° S, 73.100° W
The toll
The record gives no deaths, injuries or damage for this tsunami.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
May 7, 1838, afternoon, Concepcion Bay, validity possible. At Fort Galvez two rather strong shocks. They were also felt at Talcahuano and Concepcion. The sea at the fort quietly rose 0.8 m. (reference #415)
May 7, 1838, 36.7 S, 73.1 W, runup height 0.7 m. (reference #552)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Galvez | Chile | 0.8 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1838The 1800sTsunamis 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 710.