More Earthquakes in Costa Rica!
March 13th, 2009The first tremor was felt at 11:24am, then another again at 3:04pm, creating panic in the resident of the Zona Sur as memories of what happened in Cinchona (a 6.3 earthquake) on January 8 could now be happening to them.
Both earthquakes were centred near the Costa Rica and Panama border in the port town of Golfito, knocking items off shelves in several southern towns, as the quakes were felt as far away as the Central Valley (San Jose). It shook my condo in La Uruca pretty good!
The first earthquake at 11:24am was located 12 km Southwest of Golfito at a 28 km depth, registered 5.3 on the Richter Scale, the second immediate quake at 11:26am registering 5.2 was located in the same area but at a 25 km depth.
At 3:04pm the ground shook again, in the same location, this time at a 22 km depth and registering 5.8, according to the Observatorio Vulcanológico y Sismológico de Costa Rica (OVSICORI).
The quakes were described as “strong and long” and quickly brought images of the January 8 quake that left 23 dead and thousands homeless. However, the landscape in the southern part of the country is drastically different from where our last major quake occurred. Combined with the different landscape and a fairly shallow depth, these quakes were quite minor.
Scientists of the OVSICORI said that the despite the the magnitude of the earthquake, it was not devastating because of its depth.
The earthquake was originated for the crash between the tectonic plates of “Cocos” and “Panama”.
According to AM Costa Rica, the earthquake also ruptured the sea floor causing gas to be released into the Gulfo Dulce. The story can be found here.
