A magnitude 5.3 earthquake shook the southern Pacific region of Costa Rica early this morning, surprising residents there and in parts of the Central Valley. The Volcanological and Seismological Observatory of Costa Rica (Ovsicori) at the National University (UNA) recorded the quake at 2:26 a.m. The observatory put the epicenter 53 kilometers (33 miles) southeast of Uvita, Puntarenas, at a depth of 14 kilometers (8.7 miles).
The National Seismological Network (RSN) at the University of Costa Rica reported a magnitude of 5.2 and placed the epicenter 50 kilometers (31 miles) south of Dominical. Both of these numbers are preliminary so differences like these between the two networks are routine. For example, after a quake near Coronado last month, RSN seismologist Lepolt Linkimer explained that each network calculates magnitude from its own set of stations, so readings for the same event can vary slightly without either being wrong.
Residents of Pérez Zeledón, Coronado, San José and Heredia, along with those in the Central Pacific, reported on social media that they felt the shaking. Most described it as light and several people said an earthquake early-warning alert sounded on their phones a few seconds before the movement reached them.
Smaller quakes kept being felt in the same area in the hours that followed and Ovsicori kept the area under close monitoring. At 4:38 a.m., the observatory’s automatic system noted a magnitude 4.5 event about 52 kilometers (32 miles) southeast of Uvita. A separate Ovsicori reading put that event at magnitude 4.2, at a depth of 11.9 kilometers (7.4 miles).
Thankfully, no damage or injuries had been reported as of this writing but the National Emergency Commission (CNE) did report a landslide on a road and minor damage to some structures afterwards. Ovsicori seismologist Marino Protti has previously said that the contact between the plates in this region is relatively weak, and that quakes of this size occur there several times a year.
Anyone who notices new cracks in walls or ceilings, or smells gas, should report it through the 9-1-1 emergency line. Ovsicori also collects public felt reports on its website as these help seismologists map how strongly a quake was experienced.
