5.0

M5.0 Earthquake 16 km ENE of Jacó, Costa RicaMay 13, 2026

2026-05-13 16:22:30 UTC (2026-05-13) · approx. 10:22 AM UTC-6 local

Felt by 26 people across nearby locations.

MagnitudeM5.0(mww)
Time16:22 UTC10:22 AM UTC-6
Depth10.0 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates9.675°, -84.493°
Felt by26DYFI responses
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On May 13, 2026 at 16:22 UTC, a magnitude 5.0 shallow crustal earthquake struck 16 km ENE of Jacó, Costa Rica, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 9.6751°, -84.4935°. This earthquake was detected by 74 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 398, placing it among routine seismic activity.

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.0 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 477 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.7 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.

Map showing earthquake epicenter at 9.68°, -84.49°

Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking

Aggregated felt-report intensity from 26 citizen responses to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.

USGS DYFI community-reported intensity map for the M5.0 earthquake near 16 km ENE of Jacó, Costa Rica

Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
5.0 mww
Depth
10.0 km
shallow crustal
Location
9.6751°N
-84.4935°E
Felt Reports
26
DYFI responses
Community Intensity
5.3
CDI from reports

Technical Information

Event ID
us6000sxh5
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
398
Stations Used
74
Azimuthal Gap
85.0°
Min Station Distance
0.497°
RMS Residual
0.64 sec
Last Updated
2026-06-15 16:02:53 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 5.0 earthquake near Jacó, Costa Rica?

The magnitude 5.0 earthquake that struck 16 km ENE of Jacó, Costa Rica on May 13, 2026 at 16:22 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.

Where did the earthquake occur?

The earthquake epicenter was located at 9.6751°, -84.4935°, which is 16 km ENE of Jacó, Costa Rica.

Were there aftershocks?

Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.0 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.

What should I do after an earthquake?

If you were in the affected area: check yourself and others for injuries, inspect your home for damage, and be prepared for aftershocks. For detailed guidance, see our earthquake safety guide and emergency planning resources.

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000sxh5). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2026, May 13, 2026). M5.0 Earthquake 16 km ENE of Jacó, Costa RicaMay 13, 2026. Retrieved June 15, 2026 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000sxh5/