Análisis macrosísmico del terremoto de Buena Vista de Pérez Zeledón, 3 de julio de 1983 (Ms = 6,1), Costa Rica

this research integrates information from documents and testimonies about the effects of the buenavista earthquake, july 3rd 1983 (ms = 6,1) in costa rica. from this documentation, it has been possible to reconstruct a local intensity map, and furthermore to understand the perception and social representations that the population draw as explanations about the earthquake source. maximum intensities occurred northward of rivas town (viii-ix), showing an elongated pattern striking nnw. the integration of all primary and secondary information which has been taken and analyzed, suggests a seismic source striking e-w or nw-se, located north of buenavista town. the social interpretations to explain the buenavista earthquake were focused on “divine punishment” (“the final judgement”), volcanic activity or collapsing caverns.