August 21, 1869 Tsunami: Northern Chile

1869, August 21, 12:40 local time. magnitude 6 3/4, 21 S, 70 W (questionable validity). At Iquique there was another strong shock, followed by milder shocks until 16:30. The sea remained calm, but was somewhat agitated on the following days. The earthquake possibly was felt at Arequipa [Peru] and Copiapo [Chile]. (reference #415)

August 21, 1869, 19 S, 70.5 W, magnitude 6.8, runup height 2 m, tsunami intensity 1.5. (reference #552)

August 21, 1869, 21 S, 70 W, magnitude 6.8, runup height 0.7 m. (reference #552)

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

1869, Aug 20 and 24. Peru at Tacna, and Chile at Arica, Iquique and Pica. (reference #132)

1869, August 19 (possibly 20). Tsunami source Arica or Ica, N. Chile or S. Peru. Tsunami observed Iquique, Pisagua, Arica, Callao. The number and date of Peru--N. Chile tsunami occurring in August 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. (reference #79)