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Costa Rica · Guanacaste

M3.8 Earthquake near Nacascolo, Guanacaste (Costa Rica)

UTC time: 2026-09-17 05:28:15 UTC Local time: —

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About this earthquake

A magnitude M3.8 earthquake was recorded near Nacascolo, Guanacaste (Costa Rica) on September 17, 2026 at 05:28 UTC. 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 often felt but rarely cause damage.

The event was recorded by EMSC. Costa Rica: over the past 24 hours, QuakeMap24 logged 5 earthquakes, the strongest at M2.8.

Details

ID
34730aa027f9a7d88a974e748f24653b0983341b
Magnitude
M3.8
Depth
14.0 km
UTC time
2026-09-17 05:28:15 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Costa Rica
State
Guanacaste
City
Nacascolo
County
Liberia
Source
emsc
Coordinates
10.79510, -85.66300
Temperature
22.3°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 (25.9 km)
Regional average: 25.9 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

  • Orosi
    Distance: 29 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 1'659 m ·Costa Rica
  • Rincon de la Vieja Activity reported
    Distance: 36 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 1'729 m ·Last eruption: 2024 ·Costa Rica
  • Miravalles
    Distance: 56 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'028 m ·Last eruption: 1946 ·Costa Rica
  • Tenorio
    Distance: 72 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 1'916 m ·Costa Rica
  • Concepcion
    Distance: 83 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'700 m ·Last eruption: 2024 ·Nicaragua
  • Zapatera
    Distance: 105 km ·Shield ·Elevation: 629 m ·Nicaragua

Radius · 50 km

Nearby infrastructure

Up to 3 nearest sites per category

Airports

  • Daniel Oduber Quirós International AirportCosta Rica · LIR · MRLB
    25.9 kmStraight-line distance

Source: OurAirports · Dataset date: 2026-09-20

This selection shows geographic proximity, not a hazard zone or confirmed impacts. Distances use recorded site coordinates. Sources & data dates

Costa Rica

Context for this earthquake

20 Sep 2025 – 20 Sep 2026 · M ≥ 3.0 · 392 Catalogue entries

Of 391 other entries for this area and period, 86 have a higher stored magnitude. Different magnitude types and reports not yet merged limit the comparison.

Open seismic profile

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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