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M4.5 Depth: 51.0 km

M4.5 Earthquake near Puntarenas (Costa Rica)

UTC time: 2026-01-12 12:31:30 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

On January 12, 2026 at 12:31 UTC, a magnitude M4.5 earthquake occurred near Puntarenas (Costa Rica). The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 51 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Tremors of this size are distinctly felt and can occasionally cause light damage.

The data is provided by GFZ and cross-checked across seismological networks. Costa Rica: over the past 24 hours, QuakeMap24 logged 6 earthquakes, the strongest at M3.8.

Details

Magnitude
M4.5
Depth
51.0 km
UTC time
2026-01-12 12:31:30 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Costa Rica
State
Puntarenas
City
Puntarenas
Source
gfz
Coordinates
8.89000, -84.28000
Temperature
27.4°C

Map

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 51 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 51 km
Shallow
51 km
51 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: 130 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 3'436 m ·Last eruption: 1977 ·Costa Rica
  • Turrialba
    Distance: 138 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 3'340 m ·Last eruption: 2022 ·Costa Rica
  • Barva
    Distance: 140 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 2'906 m ·Last eruption: -6050 ·Costa Rica
  • Poas
    Distance: 146 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'697 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Costa Rica
  • Platanar
    Distance: 157 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 2'267 m ·Costa Rica
  • Arenal
    Distance: 181 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'670 m ·Last eruption: 2010 ·Costa Rica

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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