WThis list of earthquakes in Chile includes every known major earthquake that was felt or with its epicenter within Chile's current boundaries.
WThe 1615 Arica earthquake was a major earthquake centered near Arica in the Spanish colonial Viceroyalty of Peru, within the present day Arica y Parinacota Region of northwestern Chile.
WThe 1928 Talca earthquake occurred on 1 December at 00:06 local time near Curepto, Maule Region, Chile, with an estimated magnitude of 7.6 MW, 8.3 MS and 7.9 ML. In Talca, it lasted 1 minute 45 seconds.
WThe Coquimbo Region of Chile was affected by a major earthquake on 6 April 1943 at 12:07 local time. It had a magnitude of between 7.9 and 8.2 on the moment magnitude scale. It triggered a minor tsunami that caused local damage along the coast. A total of 11 people were killed, including a group of five miners.
WThe 1949 Tierra del Fuego earthquakes occurred slightly more than eight hours apart on 17 December. Their epicenters were located in the east of the Chilean Tierra del Fuego Province, close to the Argentine border on the island of Tierra del Fuego.
WThe 1953 Concepción earthquake occurred on May 6 at 17:16 UTC. The epicenter was located offshore Biobío Region, Chile. It had a magnitude of Ms 7.6, or ML 7.6. Twelve people were reported dead in this earthquake.
WThe Valparaiso earthquake of 1965 struck near the city of La Ligua in the Valparaiso Region, Chile, about 140 km from the capital Santiago on Sunday, March 28 at 12:33 p.m. (UTC-3). The Mw 7.4-7.6 temblor killed an approximate 400 people and caused damages amounting to some US$1 billion. Many of the deaths were from El Cobre, a mining location that was wiped out after a series of dam failures caused by the earthquake spilled mineral waste onto the area, burying many people. Death toll from the earthquake is comparable to the magnitude 8.8, 2010 Maule earthquake.
WThe Valparaíso Region of central Chile was struck by an earthquake of magnitude 7.8 Mw at 22:03 8 July 1971 local time. It had a maximum felt intensity of IX (violent) on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale and caused the deaths of 83 people and injured a further 447.
WThe 1985 Rapel Lake earthquake occurred on 8 April at 21:56:59 local time with a moment magnitude of 7.5 and a maximum perceived intensity of VII. The shock was centered 75 kilometres (47 mi) southwest of Santiago, Chile, with a focal depth of 37.8 km (23 mi).
WThe 1997 Punitaqui earthquake occurred at 01:03 UTC on October 15. It had an estimated magnitude of 7.1 Mwc. This earthquake was one of the most destructive in the epicentral area compared to other events of subduction of the same size. The extensive damage to structures was the result of an amplification effect on the ground and the poor quality of building materials, this reflects the potential for damage incurred in an intraplate earthquake with vertical fault and how it can be much greater than what which can cause one of interplate of similar magnitude, and caused severe damage in Chilean cities of La Serena, Ovalle, Illapel and Punitaqui.
WThe 2005 Tarapacá earthquake occurred on June 13 at 22:44:33 UTC. Its epicenter was located near Mamiña, in northern Chile about 125 km east-northeast of Iquique, affecting the Tarapacá Region and adjacent parts of Bolivia. It had a magnitude of Mw 7.8 and a maximum felt intensity of VIII (Severe) on the Mercalli intensity scale.
WThe 2007 Tocopilla earthquake occurred on November 14 at 12:40:50 local time. Its epicenter was located between Quillagua and Tocopilla, affecting the Tarapacá and the Antofagasta regions in northern Chile. The earthquake had a moment magnitude of 7.7 and lasted about 3 minutes and 35 seconds. Seventeen aftershocks of magnitude greater than 5.3, including one of magnitude 7.1 and two others of magnitude 6.3 or higher, were recorded. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami warning, stating a tsunami had been generated; after one hour, this warning was cancelled. The earthquake was felt from Santiago, 1,245 km south from the epicenter, to La Paz, about 700 km north-northeast.
WThe 2007 Aysén Fjord earthquakes occurred in Aisén Fjord, Chile from January 22 – April 22. The biggest occurred at 1:53 p.m. on April 21 and reached a felt intensity of VII on the Mercalli intensity scale. On the moment magnitude scale, the earthquake reached a gradation of 6.2. Ten people disappeared, according to ONEMI, but three bodies were found on April 22 by the Chilean Navy.
WThe 2010 Pichilemu earthquake, also known as the Libertador O'Higgins earthquake, was a 6.9 MW intraplate earthquake that struck Chile's O'Higgins Region on 11 March 2010. The earthquake was centred 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) northwest of the city of Pichilemu.
WThe 2014 Iquique earthquake struck off the coast of Chile on 1 April, with a moment magnitude of 8.2, at 20:46 local time. The epicenter of the earthquake was approximately 95 kilometres (59 mi) northwest of Iquique. The mainshock was preceded by a number of moderate to large shocks and was followed by a large number of moderate to very large aftershocks, including a M7.7 event on 3 April. The megathrust earthquake triggered a tsunami of up to 2.11 metres (6.9 ft) that hit Iquique at 21:05 local time. Similar-sized tsunamis were also reported to have hit the coasts of Pisagua and Arica.
WThe 2016 Chiloé earthquake with a magnitude of Mww 7.6 struck that 225 kilometres (140 mi) south-west of Puerto Montt in southern Chile at 11:22 local time, 25 December. The earthquake triggered a tsunami warning on coasts located up to 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) from the quake's epicentre, generating massive evacuation across the Greater Chiloé Island, after advice from the Chilean government. Although there was damage in some parts of the island, the government reported no casualties.
WThe geology of Chile is a characterized by processes linked to subduction such as volcanism, earthquakes and orogeny. The buildings blocks of Chile's geology assembled during the Paleozoic Era. Chile was by then the southwestern margin of the supercontinent Gondwana. In the Jurassic Gondwana begun to split and the ongoing period of crustal deformation and mountain building known as the Andean orogeny begun. In the Late Cenozoic Chile definitely separated from Antarctica, the Andes expienced a great rise accomplained by a cooling climate and the onset of glaciations.