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Costa Rica · Alajuela Province

M3.3 Earthquake near Aguas Zarcas, Alajuela Province (Costa Rica)

UTC time: 2026-09-21 00:36:08 UTC Local time: —
Magnitude
M3.3
Depth
27.0 km
Source
EMSC

Alajuela Province · Aguas Zarcas

Country overview

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About this earthquake

On September 21, 2026 at 00:36 UTC, a magnitude M3.3 earthquake occurred near Aguas Zarcas, Alajuela Province (Costa Rica). The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 27 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Earthquakes of this magnitude are often felt but rarely cause damage.

The event was recorded by EMSC. Costa Rica: 12 earthquakes were recorded in the past 24 hours, the strongest reaching M3.8.

Details

ID
c72019158787e78efe8dd45b0b8c1a6cdc080257
Magnitude
M3.3
Depth
27.0 km
UTC time
2026-09-21 00:36:08 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Costa Rica
State
Alajuela Province
City
Aguas Zarcas
County
San Carlos
Village
Aguas Zarcas
Source
emsc
Coordinates
10.48690, -84.38580
Temperature
25.1°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 27 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 27 km
Shallow
27 km
27 km — close to 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

  • Platanar
    Distance: 21 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 2'267 m ·Costa Rica
  • Arenal
    Distance: 35 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'670 m ·Last eruption: 2010 ·Costa Rica
  • Poas Activity reported
    Distance: 36 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'697 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Costa Rica
  • Barva
    Distance: 50 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 2'906 m ·Last eruption: -6050 ·Costa Rica
  • Tenorio
    Distance: 72 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 1'916 m ·Costa Rica
  • Irazu
    Distance: 81 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 3'436 m ·Last eruption: 1977 ·Costa Rica

Radius · 50 km

Nearby infrastructure

Up to 3 nearest sites per category

Airports

  • La Fortuna Arenal AirportCosta Rica · FON · MRAN
    21.2 kmStraight-line distance

Source: OurAirports · Dataset date: 2026-11-13

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

05 Oct 2025 – 05 Oct 2026 · M ≥ 3.0 · 393 Catalogue entries

Sufficiently reliable matching data are not currently available for a direct comparison. The area profile shows the available records and their limitations.

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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