August 21, 1871 Tsunami: S. Peru
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7 earthquake began at S. Peru on August 21, 1871. Its effects were recorded at 2 places.
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
- August 21, 1871
- Source
- S. Peru
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 7
- Runups recorded
- 2
- Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
- 1
- Tsunami magnitude (Iida)
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Questionable tsunami
- Source location
- 13.000° S, 77.000° 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.
August 21, 1871, 20:32 [local time], 13 S, 77 W, magnitude 7. At Callao, a very strong earthquake lasted 15 seconds. It was also felt at Cerro Azul and Pisco. About the same time, the "Colon" felt a strong seaquake to the west of Chala Cape, and waves appeared immediately on the surface of the sea. At Callao, the sea, which had been unusually calm, suddenly became heavy; a strong south wind came up. The sea remained very agitated for two days at Cerro Azul. (reference #415)
August 21, 1871, 13 S, 77 W, runup height 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cerro Azul | Peru | 56 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Callao | Peru | 106 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1871The 1800sTsunamis of PeruThe 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 1025.