December 16, 1985 Earthquake: Rivas, Masaya, Nicaragua
A magnitude 6 earthquake struck Rivas, Masaya, Nicaragua on December 16, 1985 at 02:44:36 UTC, 22 km below the surface.
Map
Where it struck, with the other significant earthquakes within 200 km. Circles are sized and colored by magnitude; select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Date
- December 16, 1985
- Time
- 02:44:36 UTC
- Place
- Rivas, Masaya, Nicaragua
- Magnitude
- 6 (Ms)
- Focal depth
- 22 km (14 mi)
- Intensity
- 6 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 11.725° N, 85.838° W
- Country
- Nicaragua
The toll
- Injuries
- 6
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million)
Where the literature gives no number, NCEI records a description on a scale of 1 to 4, printed here in its words. Damage is in millions of US dollars of the year of the event, not adjusted for inflation.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
Six people injured by landslides and damage (VI) in the Rivas-Masaya area. Felt strongly along the Pacific coast of Nicaragua. Felt (IV) at Los Chiles, Liberia and Upala; (III) at Tilaron and Puntarenas; and (II) at Atenas and San Jose, Costa Rica. Felt (II) at San Salvador, El Salvador. (reference #1053)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- December 23, 1972, Managua, Nicaragua
- March 31, 1931, Managua, Nicaragua
- March 31, 1930, Managua, Nicaragua
- September 2, 1992, Masachapa, Costa Rica, Nicaragua
- April 14, 1973, Tilaran, Arenal, Rio Chiquito, Costa Rica
- July 6, 2000, Masaya, Nicaragua
- April 10, 2014, Nagarote, Managua, Nicaragua
- September 5, 2012, Nicoya, Costa Rica
- September 28, 2016, Leon, Nicaragua
- April 29, 1898, Leon, Chinandega, Managua, Nicaragua
- February 16, 1922, Nicaragua
- April 29, 1881, San Juan del Sur,chinandega,managua, Nicaragua
- January 4, 1968, Managua, Nicaragua
- November 5, 1926, Managua,granada,masaya,chinandega, Nicaragua
- April 14, 2014, Managua, Ciudad Sandino, Nicaragua
More
Significant earthquakes of 1985The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1985Recent earthquakes near hereThis day in weather history
Sources
Significant earthquakes from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-09-24. NCEI earthquake 5087.