Historical tsunamis · Sep 5, 2012, 2:42 PM UTC
2012 Costa Rica tsunami
Costa Rica
The tsunami of Sep 5, 2012, 2:42 PM UTC originated near Costa Rica (Costa Rica).
Key facts
- Date
- Sep 5, 2012, 2:42 PM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M7.6
- Depth
- 35 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 0.16 m
- Deaths
- 2
- Injuries
- 20
- Houses destroyed
- some (about 51–100)
- Damage
- US$ 45 million
- Observation records
- 5
- Countries affected
- 3
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.6 earthquake at a depth of 35 km.
The highest documented water height was 0.16 m (Santa Cruz Island, Ecuador).
5 observation sites in 3 countries are recorded.
Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at Santa Cruz Island (Ecuador) after 1:48 h.
The database records 2 deaths.
Houses destroyed: some (about 51–100).
Damage is estimated at US$ 45 million.
Map of observation sites
5Each 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) · Sep 5, 2012, 2:42 PM UTC
- 1:48 hEcuador · Santa Cruz Island · 0.16 m
- 2:00 hMexico · D43413 Bpr, 360 Nm SW Acapulco
3 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Ecuador | 2 | 0.16 m Santa Cruz Island | — | 1:48 h |
| Costa Rica | 2 | — | — | — |
 Mexico | 1 | — | — | 2:00 h |
Highest documented water heights
5 / 5Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Cruz Island · Galapagos Islands | 0.16 m | 1,320 km | Ecuador |
| Baltra Island · Galapagos Islands | 0.06 m | 1,287 km | Ecuador |
| Coyote | — | 32 km | Costa Rica |
| D43413 Bpr, 360 Nm SW Acapulco | — | 1,595 km | Mexico |
| Langosta | — | 63 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.