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M5.0 Depth: 52.0 km

M5.0 Earthquake near Puntarenas (Costa Rica)

UTC time: 2026-03-17 20:25:31 UTC Local time: —
M5.0 earthquake near Puntarenas on Mar 17, 2026 — map of epicenter and shaking intensity | QuakeMap24
M5.0 Earthquake near Puntarenas (Costa Rica) · 2026-03-17 20:25:31 UTC

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.0 earthquake was recorded near Puntarenas (Costa Rica) on March 17, 2026 at 20:25 UTC. The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 52 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Earthquakes of this magnitude can damage poorly built structures.

The event was recorded by GFZ. Costa Rica: 6 earthquakes were recorded in the past 24 hours, the strongest reaching M3.8.

Details

Magnitude
M5.0
Depth
52.0 km
UTC time
2026-03-17 20:25:31 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Costa Rica
State
Puntarenas
City
Puntarenas
Source
gfz
Coordinates
8.47000, -83.12000

Map

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 52 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 52 km
Shallow
52 km
52 km — deeper than the regional average (27.1 km)
Regional average: 27.1 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

Nearby population centers

Distances are straight-line distances from the epicenter. Population data: GeoNames.

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
La Concepción54.8 kmE17'698
San José194.2 kmNW335'007
Managua532.1 kmNW973'087

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Baru
    Distance: 74 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 3'474 m ·Last eruption: 1550 ·Panama
  • Irazu
    Distance: 186 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 3'436 m ·Last eruption: 1977 ·Costa Rica
  • Turrialba
    Distance: 187 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 3'340 m ·Last eruption: 2022 ·Costa Rica
  • Barva
    Distance: 214 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 2'906 m ·Last eruption: -6050 ·Costa Rica
  • Poas
    Distance: 228 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'697 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Costa Rica
  • Platanar
    Distance: 245 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 2'267 m ·Costa Rica

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

Events recorded after this earthquake within 150 km. They are not automatically classified as aftershocks.

First 6 hours2
First 24 hours3
First 72 hours9
Strongest subsequent eventM4.7
M2.82026-03-17 20:29:22 UTC6.0 kmPavón M2.92026-03-17 20:33:16 UTC140.3 kmRío Nuevo M2.62026-03-18 07:10:39 UTC6.3 kmCOSTA RICA M2.82026-03-19 03:02:16 UTC21.8 kmPANAMA-COSTA RICA BORDER REGION M2.72026-03-19 07:37:18 UTC117.4 kmCOSTA RICA M2.52026-03-19 19:04:26 UTC117.1 kmOFF COAST OF COSTA RICA M2.92026-03-19 21:45:01 UTC36.1 kmPANAMA-COSTA RICA BORDER REGION M2.52026-03-20 02:22:24 UTC27.4 kmPANAMA-COSTA RICA BORDER REGION M2.62026-03-20 04:21:10 UTC29.7 kmPANAMA-COSTA RICA BORDER REGION M2.92026-03-21 03:38:59 UTC124.1 kmCOSTA RICA M3.42026-03-21 04:42:00 UTC146.5 kmSOUTH OF PANAMA M2.82026-03-22 03:40:16 UTC12.4 kmCOSTA RICA

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#10
Earlier events M≥456
Earlier events M≥512
Compared since2025-01-11

The QuakeMap24 comparison dataset begins on 2024-03-23. Earlier earthquakes may not be included.

Strongest earlier events

M5.92025-11-18 22:36:37 UTC107.5 km M5.82025-11-18 22:36:36 UTC119.9 kmOff coast of Costa Rica [Sea: Costa Rica] M5.62025-10-22 03:57:05 UTC147.2 kmCosta Rica M5.62025-11-22 18:41:26 UTC99.0 kmCosta Rica [Sea] M5.42025-11-18 22:36:33 UTC118.2 kmOFF COAST OF COSTA RICA

Historic earthquake map · Costa Rica

Open history map
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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