Modeling a tsunami from the Nicoya, Costa Rica, seismic gap and its potential impact in Puntarenas

► Subduction segments in Costa Rica generate large earthquakes but no big tsunamis. ► Rupture areas of large subduction earthquakes in Costa Rica occur beneath land. ► The deformation of the ocean floor is minimal and the tsunamis generated are small. ► The largest rupture area in Costa Rica, Nicoya, produces Mw ∼7.8 earthquakes. ► Tsunamis from the Nicoya gap present little potential for damage to Puntarenas.