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Costa Rica · Puntarenas Province

M4.2 Earthquake near Puntarenas Province (Costa Rica)

UTC time: 2026-09-21 00:58:55 UTC Local time: —
Earthquake newsQuakeMap24
Archive record · original publication time was not recorded Content updated:

Automatically generated from measurement data by QuakeMap24. Values may change after further analysis.

Magnitude
M4.2
Depth
14.0 km
Source
EMSC

Puntarenas Province · Puntarenas Province

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About this earthquake

On September 21, 2026 at 00:58 UTC, a magnitude M4.2 earthquake occurred near Puntarenas Province (Costa Rica). With a focal depth of about 14 km, this was a shallow earthquake, whose shaking is usually felt more strongly at the surface. Earthquakes of this magnitude are clearly felt; minor damage to vulnerable buildings is possible.

The data is provided by EMSC and cross-checked across seismological networks. Costa Rica: over the past 24 hours, QuakeMap24 logged 6 earthquakes, the strongest at M4.2.

Details

ID
1b53efcad6be1a84ca11f647b0e3ddf2ade17eb7
Magnitude
M4.2
Depth
14.0 km
UTC time
2026-09-21 00:58:55 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Costa Rica
State
Puntarenas Province
City
Puntarenas Province
Source
emsc
Coordinates
8.95620, -84.14980
Temperature
27.4°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 14 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 14 km
Shallow
14 km
14 km — shallower than the regional average (25.8 km)
Regional average: 25.8 km
Why depth matters

Shallow quakes release energy near the surface — shaking is felt more strongly and damage potential is higher.

Depth classes per USGS

Volcanoes nearby

  • Irazu
    Distance: 118 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 3'436 m ·Last eruption: 1977 ·Costa Rica
  • Turrialba
    Distance: 126 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 3'340 m ·Last eruption: 2022 ·Costa Rica
  • Barva
    Distance: 131 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 2'906 m ·Last eruption: -6050 ·Costa Rica
  • Poas Activity reported
    Distance: 139 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'697 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Costa Rica
  • Platanar
    Distance: 151 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 2'267 m ·Costa Rica
  • Baru
    Distance: 177 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 3'474 m ·Last eruption: 1550 ·Panama

Puntarenas Province

Context for this earthquake

21 Sep 2025 – 21 Sep 2026 · M ≥ 3.0 · 37 Catalogue entries

Of 36 other entries for this area and period, 2 have a higher stored magnitude. Different magnitude types and reports not yet merged limit the comparison.

Open seismic profile

Historic earthquake map · Costa Rica

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Explore recent and long-term earthquake activity in this country. Use filters to narrow down by magnitude, depth, and date range.

Country statistics · Costa Rica

Country overview
View earthquake KPIs, strongest and latest events, and averages for this country.

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