Historical tsunamis · Mar 25, 1990, 1:22 PM UTC
1990 Costa Rica tsunami
Costa Rica
The tsunami of Mar 25, 1990, 1:22 PM UTC originated near Costa Rica (Costa Rica).
Key facts
- Date
- Mar 25, 1990, 1:22 PM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M7.3
- Depth
- 20 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 1.00 m
- Injuries
- 15
- Houses destroyed
- 8
- Damage
- moderate (about US$ 1–5 million)
- Observation records
- 4
- Countries affected
- 1
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.3 earthquake at a depth of 20 km.
The highest documented water height was 1.00 m (Puntarenas, Costa Rica).
4 observation sites in 1 countries are recorded.
Houses destroyed: 8.
Damage is estimated at moderate (about US$ 1–5 million).
Map of observation sites
4Each dot is a documented observation site; colour and size show the observed water height. The triangle marks the source.
Tsunami arrival times
Documented arrival times from the NOAA/NCEI database, showing the earliest recorded location per country. Coverage is incomplete: a country without an entry was not necessarily spared.
- 0:00 hEarthquake (origin) · Mar 25, 1990, 1:22 PM UTC
- 0:14 hCosta Rica · Quepos · 0.15 m
1 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Costa Rica | 4 | 1.00 m Puntarenas | — | 0:14 h |
Highest documented water heights
4 / 4Individual documented observations for this event. Heights come from different measurement types and sources; not every location has a measured height.
| Location / station | Observed height | Distance from source | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Puntarenas | 1.00 m | 11 km | Costa Rica |
| Quepos | 0.15 m | 83 km | Costa Rica |
| Mata de Limon | — | 5 km | Costa Rica |
| Pochote | — | 32 km | Costa Rica |
More tsunamis
Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), Global Historical Tsunami Database. Confirmed events only. Deaths and damage are database estimates; older records are incomplete. Water heights come from different types of observation.