M 5.1 Earthquake Strikes 11 km WSW of Sardinal, Costa Rica
Areazine synthesizes this USGS earthquake report directly from USGS's official public data feed. See our methodology for full source attribution and refresh cadence.
A magnitude 5.1 mb earthquake occurred 11 km WSW of Sardinal, Costa Rica, at a depth of 65 km.
What this USGS earthquake report tells you, and what most readers miss
This notice was issued by USGS on June 25, 2026 and geographically references Costa Rica. Its severity classification of "medium" signals how the issuing agency weighs the risk of harm if no action is taken - "critical" and "high" tier alerts typically carry direct consumer actions, while "medium" and "low" tend toward informational guidance or monitoring advisories. The category it belongs to - Earthquakes - determines the monitoring protocol behind it, which shapes what follow-up action (checking for structural damage, watching for aftershocks, reviewing local building codes) is relevant and which agency holds authority over the assessment.
Most readers skim a notice like this, check whether they are personally affected, and move on. The more useful lens is to verify its scope, source, and timestamp, then compare related notices without assuming that one record proves a broader trend.
Areazine pairs this record with the original agency URL so you can check the primary source before acting. Its related labels are earthquake, seismic, usgs, Costa Rica.
What Happened
A magnitude 5.1 mb earthquake struck 11 km WSW of Sardinal, Costa Rica, on 2026-05-10 at 12:21:35 UTC. The event was recorded at coordinates 10.4644°N, 85.7378°W with a depth of 64.993 km, classified as intermediate depth.
Location Details
The earthquake was centered 11 km west-southwest of Sardinal, Costa Rica. This places the epicenter in a region of northwestern Costa Rica. The intermediate depth of approximately 65 km is typical for events in subduction zone settings.
Impact Assessment
The earthquake was felt by 14 people, with a maximum reported intensity of IV (light shaking) on the Community Decimal Intensity scale. No tsunami was generated (tsunami advisory status: none). No alert level was issued.
What You Should Know
Earthquakes of this magnitude are considered moderate and can cause noticeable shaking. Residents in the area should be prepared for possible aftershocks and follow standard earthquake safety practices such as drop, cover, and hold on during shaking.
Source
Data from the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Event page
Original source: USGS Official Notice ↗
Related Earthquakes
All Earthquakes →Nationwide notices with similar length or severity timing 8
Two Areazine-derived peer sets for this USGS earthquake report: nearest notices by body length and by same severity near the same agency date. Peers come from other categories so they are not the same-feed Related list above.
Similar body length
Nearest notices by article body length (1,156 characters here).
Similar severity timing
Same severity (medium) notices issued closest in time to June 25, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this USGS earthquake report.