Chile lies above the convergent boundary between the Nazca Plate and the South American Plate , with a convergence rate of 66 mm/yr . This boundary has been the site of many historical megathrust earthquakes , including the largest earthquake ever recorded . The rupture area of the 1835 earthquake was noted as a prominent seismic gap , leading to a forecast of a large earthquake ( 8.0 – 8.5 ) within a few decades . The recent 2010 Chile earthquake appears to have ruptured this part of the plate interface
largest earthquake ever recorded
1960 Valdivia earthquake
1835 Concepción earthquake