August 24, 1869 Tsunami: Northern Chile

1869, Aug 24, ~13:15 local time. Mag. 6 3/4, 19 S, 70.5 W (likely validity, tsunami intensity 1.5). A strong earthquake occurred in the region stretching about 550 km north of Iquique. This was the strongest shock since the earthquake of Aug 13, 1868. Numerous recurrent shocks were felt; foreshocks had been felt since at least Aug 20. According to a report from Lima, published by a French and some South American newspapers, the earthquake was followed on the coast of Peru by tsunami waves, almost as destructive as those of Aug 13, 1868. At Iquique and Arica, the sea receded rapidly from shore, entraining ships and boats. Then it returned in an enormous wave up to 2 m (6 feet) higher than the usual level. The wave retreated 5 times and then rolled onshore without much force. Normal life was totally disrupted. Homes were abandoned at Arica. The situation was almost the same at Iquique and Pisagua. At Pisagua, the sea level dropped 5 m, and then rose 2 m above its usual level. All ships, fearing that the anchors would not hold, made ready to put out to sea. (ref #415)1869, Aug 24, 1:30 p.m. This poorly documented earthquake may have been a large aftershock near the southern end of the epicentral area of Aug 13, 1868. A tsunami was generated, according to reports from Arica, Iquique, and Pisagua… The mag. is estimated at 7 to 7 3/4. (ref #252)

1869, Aug 20 and 24. Chile & Peru. Earthquake felt at Tacna, Arica, Iquique, and Pica. Sea wave; no data. (ref #39)

1869, Aug 24, 17:10 UTC. 19 S, 71 W, magnitude 7.75, Pisagua. (ref #164)1869, August 24, 13:10 local time. Source Arica or Ica, N. Chile or S. Peru. Runups Iquique, Pisagua, Arica, Callao. The number and date of Peru-N. Chile tsunami occurring in Aug 1869 is uncertain. Berninghausen, citing Heck, Milne and Montessus de Ballore lists tsunamis accompanying a quake Aug. 19 at Ica and Arica and a quake (quakes? ) on Aug. 20 and 24 at Tacna, Arica, Iquique, and Pica. Heck lists the same tsunami, not clarifying that the places were those at which the quakes, and not necessarily waves, were observed, citing Milne. Milne listed a quake at Arica and Ica on 19 Aug., accompanied by sea waves, citing an unidentified Montessus de Ballore report, and quakes Aug. 20-24 strongest at Arica, Iquique, and Pica, of which one at least was accompanied by sea waves, citing Fuchs, Montessus de Ballore, and Hope-Jones. Rudolph initially (1887) reported a quake at Tacna on Aug. 24 at 13:10 with which was associated the tsunami behavior at Pisagua noted above. Later, however, he quoted a ship captain's report from Pisagua on the same date that "..the inhabitants cleared out to the mountains leaving another sea wave." The earlier tsunami thus implied might have occurred on one of the earlier dates shown in Aug. 1869 or might easily have been the tsunami of 1868 Aug. 13. Montessus de Ballore included in his provisional lists (1910-llb) a quake at Arica and Ica on Aug. 19 that was accompanied by a tsunami, but later (19lla) in detailed account omitted this date and described a Peru-N. Chile quake on Aug. 24 accompanied by a tsunami at Arica and Iquique. Fuchs (1870) mentions a tsunami only on Aug. 24 accompanying a quake at Iquique and Arica. It is considered probable that there was only one tsunami in Aug. 1869, that on the 24th, but possible that there was an additional one on the 19th. (ref #79)