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M2.9 Depth: 55.0 km

M2.9 Earthquake near Río Nuevo, San José (Costa Rica)

UTC time: 2026-03-17 20:33:16 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

A magnitude M2.9 earthquake was recorded near Río Nuevo, San José (Costa Rica) on March 17, 2026 at 20:33 UTC. The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 55 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Events of this size typically go unnoticed.

The event was recorded by EMSC. Costa Rica: over the past 24 hours, QuakeMap24 logged 6 earthquakes, the strongest at M3.8.

Map

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 55 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 55 km
Shallow
55 km
55 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

Volcanoes nearby

  • Irazu
    Distance: 61 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 3'436 m ·Last eruption: 1977 ·Costa Rica
  • Turrialba
    Distance: 68 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 3'340 m ·Last eruption: 2022 ·Costa Rica
  • Barva
    Distance: 80 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 2'906 m ·Last eruption: -6050 ·Costa Rica
  • Poas
    Distance: 91 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'697 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Costa Rica
  • Platanar
    Distance: 107 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 2'267 m ·Costa Rica
  • Arenal
    Distance: 141 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'670 m ·Last eruption: 2010 ·Costa Rica

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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