March 25, 1990 Earthquake: Puntarenas, San Jose, Costa Rica

March 25, 1990. 13:22:55.6 UTC, 9.919 N, 84.808 W, depth 22 km, 6.2 mb, 7.0 MS. Ten people slightly injured. Damage (VIII) in the Puntarenas area and about 60 buildings severely damaged (VII) in the San Jose area. Several landslides blocked roads in the area for a short time. Felt throughout Costa and Rica and southwestern Nicaragua. Felt (VI) at Almirante and Puerto Armuelles and (III) at David. (reference #1053)

On March 25, 1990 a large earthquake ( Mw=7.0, ML=6.8) occurred at the entrance of the Nicoya Gulf, Costa Rica, at 13:22:55.6 UTC, producing considerable damage in central Costa Rica and generating much interest about whether or not the Nicoya seismic gap (Nishenko,1 989) had broken[...]This earthquake reached maximum intensities of VIII (Modified Mercalli) in places up to 60 km away from the earthquake epicenter( Figure 11). No deaths occurred and only 15 people were injured, mostly by broken window glass and masonry and brick falls. The main damage occurred in the towns of Cobano and Paquerao, in the Nicoya Peninsula (20 km NW of the epicenter);i n the city of Puntarenas, located on a sandbar 40 km NNE of the epicenter, and at Mata de Limon, an estuary 40 km NE of the epicenter (see Figure 6 for location of these sites). Official reports indicate 34 houses damaged and 8 destroyed; 23 schools damaged and 3 destroyed;3 buildings severely damaged and 7 slightly damaged. (reference #12495)

1990 March 25 13:22:57.16 UTC, 9.907 N 84.753 W, magnitude 7.3 Mw, depth 20 (reference #10476, v 9.)