Shallow M5.7 Earthquake struck on Wednesday Night in the North Pacific Ocean 130km from Liberia (Costa Rica).

Written by Earthquakelist.org on April 15th, 2026. Last updated May 8th, 2026.

A shallow and significant Magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck in the North Pacific Ocean 130 kilometer from Liberia, Costa Rica in the night of Wednesday April 15th, 2026. Roughly 1.2 million people may have felt this earthquake. Another nearby country is Nicaragua.

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Earthquake Summary

This earthquake hit under water in the North Pacific Ocean, 67 kilometers (41 mi) off the coast of Costa Rica, 130 kilometer southwest of Liberia in Guanacaste. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 17 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.

Date and Time:	Apr 15, 2026 12:56AM (Costa Rica Time) - Apr 15, 2026 06:56 Universal Time.
Location:	250 km south of Managua, Nicaragua. Coordinates 9°53'20"N 86°21'21"W.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 5.7 Detected by 68 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.038 .
Depth:	17 km (11 mi) A very shallow depth.
Max. Intensity:	V Moderate On the Modified Mercalli Scale.
Tsunami Risk:	Low tsunami risk Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 do not usually cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here.

Minimal impact predicted

Based on scientific estimates by the US Geographic Survey (USGS), the risk of high fatalities for this earthquake is classified at level GREEN (low). They expect an 90% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 fatalities.

The USGS classifies the economic impact of this earthquake at level GREEN (low). They expect an 90% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 million US Dollars in economic damage and impact.

Roughly 1.2 million people exposed to shaking

An estimated 1.2 million have been exposed to shaking (An MMI or Modified Mercalli Intensity level II or higher) as a result of this earthquake according scientific estimates published by the USGS.

The highest earthquake impact level for this earthquake is IV, which corresponds with light shaking and likely no damage. Roughly 143,200 people are expected to be exposed to this level. Intensity level III was experienced by the majority of people (around 1.1 million). In their region, weak shaking and probably no damage can be expected.

People in 2 countries have been exposed to shaking. In Costa Rica , around 0.9 million people, with impact levels up to IV (light shaking, likely no damage). Roughly 300 thousand people were exposed to shaking in Nicaragua .

Nearby towns and cities

This earthquake struck within proximity of multiple countries. Costa Rica and Nicaragua are both within 300km distance of its epicenter.

Located 103 kilometer (64 mi) west of the epicenter of this earthquake, Nicoya (Guanacaste, Costa Rica) is the nearest significant population center. The intensity of shaking and damage in Nicoya is estimated to be around level IV on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale (light shaking, likely no damage).

Multiple large cities are in proximity of today's earthquake. Managua is located 250 km to the north (intensity unknown, possibly low). San José is located 249 km to the east (intensity unknown, possibly low). Masaya is located 234 km to the north (intensity unknown, possibly low).

A complete list of nearby places is included below. Estimated intensity data (MMI) sourced from a shake-map published by the US Geographic Survey is shown where available (cities without data probably experienced little impact).

Overview of nearby places

Earthquake Intensity Map

The maximum intensity (MMI Scale) caused by this earthquake is IV. The map below shows in which areas this earthquake was the most and least impactful. It is based on data from the US Geographic Survey.

I Not felt

II Weak

III Weak

IV Light

V Moderate

VI Strong

VII Very Strong

VIII Severe

IX Violent

X Extreme

Shaking reported by 34 people in 2 countries

People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 34 people have reported shaking in 17 places in 2 countries (Costa Rica, Nicaragua).We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.

Places with most reports:

• Sámara, Guanacaste, Costa Rica: 8 people.
• Santa Cruz, Guanacaste, Costa Rica: 6 people.
• Sardinal, Guanacaste, Costa Rica: 5 people.
• San José, San José, Costa Rica: 2 people.
• Santa Ana, San José, Costa Rica: 1 person.
• Esparta, Puntarenas, Costa Rica: 1 person.
• Golfito, Puntarenas, Costa Rica: 1 person.
• Fortuna, Alajuela, Costa Rica: 1 person.
• San Antonio, Alajuela, Costa Rica: 1 person.
• Belén, Guanacaste, Costa Rica: 1 person.

3 Aftershocks detected

This main shock was followed by 3 smaller aftershocks. A 3.2 magnitude earthquake hit 2 days later 56 km (35 mi) north-east of this earthquake.

Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks

More earthquakes coming?

Aftershocks are usually at least 1 order of magnitude less strong than main shocks. The more time passes, the smaller the chance and likely strength of any potential aftershocks.

The chance that a significant earthquake like this one is followed by an even larger earthquake is not so large. On average, scientists estimate a 94% chance that a major earthquake will not be followed by an even larger one. It is still adviced to be aware of this risk

Earthquakes like this are common in the region

Earthquakes of this strength occur quite regularly in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since October 22nd, 2025, when a 5.9 magnitude earthquake hit 242 km (151 mi) further east. An even stronger magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck on April 21st, 2022.

In total, 10 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.7 or higher have been registered within 300km (186 mi) of this epicenter in the past 10 years. This comes down to an average of once every year.

Low tsunami risk

Based on early data it appears this earthquake was not strong enough (lower than MAG-6.5) to be likely to cause destructive tsunami's. However this earthquake appeared to have hit at a shallow depth under sea, so stay cautious and monitor advice from local authorities.

Tsunami Risk Factors

Sources

Last updated 08/05/26 09:48 (). As more information on this earthquake becomes available this article will be updated. This article is automatically composed based on data originating from multiple sources.

1. US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us6000sq5z
2. European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260415_0000097
3. Geonames.org: World Cities Database
4. Google Maps: Static API
5. Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database

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