7.6 Earthquake Shakes Costa Rica
By: MSNBC.com
Updated: September 5, 2012
A 7.6 magnitude earthquake hit northwestern Costa Rica on Wednesday, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
The quake -- initially given a magnitude of 7.9 but then revised to 7.6 - struck at 8:42 a.m. local time (10:42 a.m. ET) at a depth of about 25 miles and about five miles northeast of Samara, Costa Rica and 94 miles west of the capital San Jose.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said a tsunami warning was in effect for Costa Rica, Panama, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala and Peru. A tsunami watch notice was issued for Chile.
The magnitude is classified as a "strong" earthquake on the intensity scale, which notes that damage for this category would be light.
The quake -- initially given a magnitude of 7.9 but then revised to 7.6 - struck at 8:42 a.m. local time (10:42 a.m. ET) at a depth of about 25 miles and about five miles northeast of Samara, Costa Rica and 94 miles west of the capital San Jose.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said a tsunami warning was in effect for Costa Rica, Panama, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala and Peru. A tsunami watch notice was issued for Chile.
The magnitude is classified as a "strong" earthquake on the intensity scale, which notes that damage for this category would be light.
