Valdivia earthquake in 1575
| Valdivia earthquake in 1575 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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| Coordinates | 39 ° 48 ′ 0 ″ S , 73 ° 12 ′ 0 ″ W | ||
| date | December 16, 1575 | ||
| Time | 2:30 p.m. local time | ||
| intensity | X on the MM scale | ||
| Magnitude | 8.5 M S | ||
| epicenter | at Valdivia | ||
| country | Chile | ||
| Affected places |
Valdivia , Angol , Nueva Imperial , Villarrica , Osorno |
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| Tsunami | Yes | ||
| dead | approx. 1300 | ||
The Valdivia earthquake on December 16, 1575 was an earthquake in Chile . The epicenter was probably near the city of Valdivia, which had only been founded 23 years earlier . With an estimated magnitude of 8.5 to 9.5, it was one of the strongest earthquakes in history. Spanish chroniclers report 21 deaths.
As with the Valdivia earthquake in 1960 , a dam created by a landslide blocked the outflow of Lake Riñihue . When the dam broke in April of the following year, the tidal wave killed about 1,200 Mapuche . Valdivia, evacuated in time, was completely destroyed by the masses of water.