[1] Based on the historical accounts from Maria Graham,[4] a British travel writer who documented her experience in the earthquake, seismologists concluded that the event was likely a result of thrust faulting.

A canal connected to the Aconcagua River was buried and suffered cracks by collapsing debris when the riverbank failed.

In Santiago, the earthquake was felt VII on the Mercalli intensity scale, causing damage to 30 buildings.

‘At a quarter past ten [in the evening], the house received a violent shock, with a noise like the explosion of a mine.

On the night of the nineteenth, during the first great shock, the sea in Valparaiso bay rose suddenly, and as suddenly retired in an extraordinary manner, and in about a quarter of an hour seemed to recover its equilibrium; but the whole shore is more exposed and the rocks are about four feet higher out of the water than before.‘ December 9th, 1822.

‘in the evening I had a pleasant walk to the beach with Lord Cochrane; we went chiefly for the purpose of tracing the effects of the earthquake along the rocks.

Above these recent shells, beds of older ones may be traced at various heights along the shore; and such are found near the summits of some of the loftiest hills in Chile.‘

A flagship used in rescue and recovery of the earthquake was carried by the first tsunami wave and stranded near the gates of a customs office.