Earthquakes in San Jose, Costa Rica

San Jose, Costa Rica is a high earthquake-risk zone. The capital, located in the Central Valley, sits in one of the most seismically active countries in Central America, permanently exposed to earthquakes from both large offshore subduction sources and local faults that run very close to its cities.

The main source is the subduction of the Cocos Plate beneath the Caribbean Plate off Costa Rica's Pacific coast, a contact zone capable of generating major earthquakes. Compounding this is a dense network of shallow faults that cross the Central Valley itself, where most of the population lives. These crustal earthquakes tend to be moderate in magnitude, but because they strike so close to the surface and to cities, they can cause significant damage.

Costa Rica has suffered numerous destructive earthquakes, including the 2009 Cinchona earthquake, which at roughly magnitude 6.1 and centered north of the Central Valley caused fatalities and severe infrastructure damage, and the major 2012 Nicoya earthquake (M7.6), a subduction-zone event. Thanks to a strict seismic building code and an established culture of prevention, the country manages to limit damage, but San Jose lives with a seismic hazard that demands vigilance and resilient construction.