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Costa Rica · Puntarenas

M2.8 Earthquake near Quepos, Puntarenas (Costa Rica)

UTC time: 2026-01-12 20:01:06 UTC Local time: —

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About this earthquake

On January 12, 2026 at 20:01 UTC, a magnitude M2.8 earthquake occurred near Quepos, Puntarenas (Costa Rica). The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 19 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Earthquakes of this small magnitude are usually barely noticeable and cause no damage.

The event was recorded by EMSC. Costa Rica: 5 earthquakes were recorded in the past 24 hours, the strongest reaching M3.7.

Details

ID
f516d502f5b9f8ba754a03d2ee2120e50d80ae40
Magnitude
M2.8
Depth
19.0 km
UTC time
2026-01-12 20:01:06 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Costa Rica
State
Puntarenas
City
Quepos
County
Quepos
Source
emsc
Coordinates
9.49810, -84.23320
Temperature
21.2°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 19 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 19 km
Shallow
19 km
19 km — shallower than the regional average (25.8 km)
Regional average: 25.8 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: 68 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 3'436 m ·Last eruption: 1977 ·Costa Rica
  • Barva
    Distance: 72 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 2'906 m ·Last eruption: -6050 ·Costa Rica
  • Turrialba
    Distance: 78 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 3'340 m ·Last eruption: 2022 ·Costa Rica
  • Poas Activity reported
    Distance: 78 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'697 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Costa Rica
  • Platanar
    Distance: 90 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 2'267 m ·Costa Rica
  • Arenal
    Distance: 119 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'670 m ·Last eruption: 2010 ·Costa Rica

Radius · 50 km

Nearby infrastructure

Up to 3 nearest sites per category

Airports

  • Quepos Managua AirportCosta Rica · XQP · MRQP
    12.9 kmStraight-line distance

Source: OurAirports · Dataset date: 2026-10-05

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

Puntarenas

Context for this earthquake

05 Oct 2025 – 05 Oct 2026 · M ≥ 2.0 · 177 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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