December 17, 1949 Tsunami: Southern Chile

1949, December 17, 15:07:55 UTC. 54 S, 71 W, magnitude 7.75 MS. There was a strong earthquake [at 11:05 Local Time] at Tierra del Fuego. It was preceded by a shock at 2:50 [Local Time]. At Punta Arenas the intensity was 7 degrees. The main damage was the collapse of the fire walls between wooden homes; there were no casualties [in Punta Arenas]. There were no reports of damage from the oil fields of Tierra del Fuego. About 30 recurrent shocks were felt on the first day.

Landslides and collapses occurred along the western coast of Tierra del Fuego, especially along the shores of Fagnano Lake and the Belverde Rivers and at San Nicolas in Admiralty Bay, 50 km south of Punta Arenas. At San Nicolas three men died in a saw mill destroyed in a long landslide. There were also jets of salt water from the ground here.

Tsunami waves of a local nature and unusually strong tidal currents were observed at Porvenir (Admiralty Bay), in the Zig Zag Strait near Gabriel Channel, and at other places.

[The description applies to closed basins. Apparently, it should be more correct to speak of strong seiches than of a tsunami.]

(above from Reference # 415)

1949, December 17, 11:06 am local time (15:06 UTC). Punta Arenas earthquake. A foreshock was felt at about 02:50 a.m. The intensity at Punta Arenas was around 7; no casualties occurred in the town itself. Most of the damage was due to the collapse of firewalls between wooden houses. No damage was reported from the oilfields on Tierra del Fuego Island. About 2 dozen aftershocks were felt the first day. Landslides occurred along the west coast of Tierra del Fuego, particularly at San Nicolas, in Admiralty Bay, and along the banks of lake Fagnano and the Belverde River. Three persons were killed at a lumber mill which was destroyed by a large landslide at San Nicolas, about 50 km south of Punta Arenas. Jets of salt water were reported squirting from the ground at that locality. Local tsunami waves and abnormally strong tidal currents were observed on Porvenir, in Admiralty Bay, in the Zigzag Channel near Gabriel Canal, and at other points. The epicenter was located presumably on tho fault structure which includes Lake Fagnano and the western arm of the Magellan Straits; but it was closer to Lake Fagnano than to Punta Arenas. The magnitude was 7.5. (reference #252)

1949, December 17, 06:53 UTC. 54 S, 71 W, magnitude 7.7 MS, depth 33 km. (reference #552)

1949, December 17, 15:08 UTC. 54 S, 71 W, magnitude 7.7 MS, depth 33 km, maximum runup 0.7 m. (reference #552)

1949, December 17, 06:53 UTC. 54 S, 71 W, depth 33 km, magnitude 7.75 MS. (reference #164)

1949, December 17, 15:08 UTC. 54 S, 71 W, depth 33 km, magnitude 7.75 MS. (reference #164)