List of faults in Costa Rica
The geology of Costa Rica is shaped by a complex tectonic setting at the junction of the Caribbean, Cocos, Nazca, and Panama plates. Active deformation associated with subduction and crustal faulting has produces faults throughout the country, many of which are capable of generating damaging earthquakes. Fault activity also contributes to the country's volcanism and its ongoing mountain building process.
The list comprises named faults and fault systems identified through geological mapping and scientific literature. the faults vary in type, length and degree of activity while including strike slip, normal and reverse faults. While some have been associated with historical earthquakes, many are recognized primarily through geological and geophysical investigation.[1][2][3][4]
Faults
The following is a partial list of faults in Costa Rica:
- Agua Caliente Fault, in the Central Valley.[5]
- Alajuela Fault, in the Central Valley.[5]
- Ángel-Varablanca Fault, in the Central Valley.[6]
- Atirro Fault, in Turrialba.[5]
- Buenavista Fault, in Pérez Zeledón.[7]
- Canoas Fault, in the Southern Zone.[5]
- Chiripa Fault, in the Northern Zone.[5]
- Escazú Fault, in the Central Valley.[5]
- Golfito Fault, in Golfito.[7]
- Guápiles Fault, in Caribbean Zone.[5]
- Jateo Fault, in the Central Valley.[5]
- Navarro Fault, in Turrialba.[5]
- San Miguel Fault, in the Central Valley.[8]
- Zarceró Fault, in the Northern Zone.[5]
References
- ↑ "Atlas tectónico de Costa Rica". Portal de la Investigación - Universidad de Costa Rica (in Spanish). Retrieved 2026-07-28.
- ↑ Morell, Kristin D. (2016). "Seamount, ridge, and transform subduction in southern Central America". Tectonics. 35 (2): 357–385. doi:10.1002/2015TC003950. ISSN 1944-9194.
- ↑ Boymond, P.; Muller, C.; Protti, M.; Chaves, E. (2026). "Tectonics and Sliver Motion in Costa Rica: Strain Partitioning Constrained by GNSS Velocities Data". Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems. 27 (5). doi:10.1029/2025GC012442. ISSN 1525-2027.
- ↑ Linkimer, Lepolt; Arroyo, Ivonne G. (2026). "Seismotectonics of the Panama Triple Junction region revealed by recent seismicity". Tectonophysics. 926 231115. doi:10.1016/j.tecto.2026.231115. ISSN 0040-1951.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Wilfredo Rojas, ed. (2009), La alta vulnerabilidad sísmica de Costa Rica (PDF), Sección de Sismología, Vulcanología y Exploración Geofísica, Escuela Centroamericana de Geología, archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-18
- ↑ "El terremoto de cinchona del jueves 8 de enero de 2009" [The Cinchona earthquake of Thursday, January 8, 2009] (PDF) (in Spanish). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-07-04. Retrieved 2010-01-19.
- 1 2 "Map of Quaternary Faults and Folds of Costa Rica" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2003-03-31.
- ↑ "El terremoto de cinchona del jueves 8 de enero de 2009" [The Cinchona earthquake of Thursday, January 8, 2009] (PDF) (in Spanish). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-07-04. Retrieved 2010-01-19.