November 21, 1927 Tsunami: Southern Chile
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.1 earthquake began at Southern Chile on November 21, 1927 at 23:12:25 UTC. 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
- November 21, 1927, 23:12:25 UTC
- Source
- Southern Chile
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 7.1, 33 km deep
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
- 2
- Tsunami magnitude (Iida)
- 1.5
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Probable tsunami
- Source location
- 44.600° S, 73.000° 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.
November 21, 1927. There are reports about waves along the coast on a 45 km (25 miles) stretch in the region of Puerto Aysen. The water advanced 100 m (325 feet) inland. A boat with its crew was transported to a treetop. Gutenberg, Richter (1954) : 21.XI; 23h12m25s; 44 1/2 deg S., 73 deg W.; M=7.1. (reference #415)
November 21, 1927, 23:12 UTC, 44.6 S, 73 W, 7.1 MS, depth 33 km, runup height 2.8 m. (reference #552)
Nov. 21, 1927, Chile. Epicenter 44 deg 40 min S., 73 deg 00 min W. Wave reported along 25 miles of coast in the Rio Aisen region, covered land for 325 feet inland. A boat and crew were flung into the treetops. (reference #39)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Puerto Aisen | Chile | 94 | 100 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1927The 1900sTsunamis 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 1586.