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Costa Rica · Puntarenas Province

M3.0 Earthquake near Puntarenas Province (Costa Rica)

UTC time: 2026-09-15 03:35:41 UTC Local time: —
Magnitude
M3.0
Depth
8.0 km
Source
EMSC

Puntarenas Province · Puntarenas Province

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About this earthquake

On September 15, 2026 at 03:35 UTC, a magnitude M3.0 earthquake occurred near Puntarenas Province (Costa Rica). The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 8 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Shaking of this size is frequently noticed but usually harmless.

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

Details

ID
ac38fb36a3aa80d36061c3c335180a9899f04d9a
Magnitude
M3.0
Depth
8.0 km
UTC time
2026-09-15 03:35:41 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Costa Rica
State
Puntarenas Province
City
Puntarenas Province
Source
emsc
Coordinates
8.94630, -84.24310
Temperature
28.4°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 8 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 8 km
Shallow
8 km
8 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

  • Irazu
    Distance: 123 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 3'436 m ·Last eruption: 1977 ·Costa Rica
  • Turrialba
    Distance: 131 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 3'340 m ·Last eruption: 2022 ·Costa Rica
  • Barva
    Distance: 133 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
  • Arenal
    Distance: 176 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'670 m ·Last eruption: 2010 ·Costa Rica

Puntarenas Province

Context for this earthquake

20 Sep 2025 – 20 Sep 2026 · M ≥ 3.0 · 35 Catalogue entries

Of 34 other entries for this area and period, 28 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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