Costa Rica earthquakes

M7.5 earthquake Costa Rica

A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck in Costa Rica on Thu, Oct 5, 1950, 10:09 AM GMT-6 (16:09 UTC), 98 km (61 mi) below the surface.

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Map

Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.

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The earthquake

Magnitude
7.5 (mw), major
Local time
UTC
1950-10-05 16:09:42 UTC
Depth
97.9 km (60.8 mi), intermediate-depth
Epicenter
10.481° N, 85.046° W
Strongest shaking
VII, very strong shaking
Tsunami flag
No
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

Shaking

The USGS ShakeMap: shaking estimated from seismic stations and the quake’s size, on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale.

Strongest estimated
VII, very strong shaking
Peak ground acceleration
33.0% of gravity
Peak ground velocity
3.2 cm/s
Map
Automatic
USGS ShakeMap: estimated shaking intensity around the epicenter
Estimated shaking intensity. Map: USGS ShakeMap.

Did you feel it?

No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Magnitude uncertainty
±0.40
Depth from
From location

Nearest places

Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 2.5 and up: 2 in the 60 days after this one and 0 in the 30 days before it.

After

Earthquakes todayCosta Rica earthquakesLive radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event iscgem895887. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 12:15 PM UTC.