It wasn’t the catastrophic quake of recent days in Nepal, but the quakes here and in Nepal remind everyone in Costa Rica how the earth can be giving and violently destructive all at once.

The most recent seismic activity in the south of Costa Rica registered a 5.3 magnitude earthquake at 2:37 pm Mountain Standard Time. The epicenter of the quake was 29.8 kilometers off the coast of Puerto Jiménez and the Puntarenas Province near the Sweet Gulf. It ran along the Cocos plate from the sea to the shore. The earthquake was not tremendous for residents in Costa Rica, but it could be felt as far north as the capital of San Jose.

Along with the offshore quake, a week of continued activity has been observed at Turrialba Volcano in Cartago Province. The seismologic and volcanic activity continues to showcase how tenuous life can be in regards to natural events that have the potential to drastically change everything. The weekend’s quake in Nepal, which has devastated so many, reminds people to be prescient of the delicate nature of existence.

Turrialba also continues to cover the country in ash as well, and has grounded several flights coming out of Juan Santamaria airport in recent days. The volcano begun its activity in November of 2014, and continues to have phreatic outbursts which could be an indication of a larger eruption yet to come.