This is an implementation of the FDSN Event Web Service Specification, and allows custom searches for earthquake information using a variety of parameters.
Please note that automated applications should use Real-time GeoJSON Feeds for displaying earthquake information whenever possible, as they will have the best performance and availability for that type of information.
URL
https://earthquake.usgs.gov/fdsnws/event/1/[METHOD[?PARAMETERS]]
Methods
- application.json
- request known enumerated parameter values for the interface.
- application.wadl
- request WADL for the interface.
- catalogs
- request available catalogs.
- contributors
- request available contributors
- count
- to perform a count on a data request. Count uses the same parameters as the query method, and is availablein these formats: plain text (default), geojson, and xml.
- query
- to submit a data request. See the parameters section for supported url parameters.
- version
- request full service version number
Query method Parameters
These parameters should be submitted as key=value pairs using the HTTP GET method and may not be specified more than once; if a parameter is submitted multiple times the result is undefined.
Formats
If no format is specified quakeml will be returned by default.
parameter | type | default | description |
---|---|---|---|
format |
String | quakeml | Specify the output format. |
format=geojson
When format=geojson
is defined there are additional parameters
that can be specified that control how the geojson output is generated. The
additional web service parameters are:
format=kml
When format=kml
is defined there are additional parameters
that can be specified that control how the KML output is generated. The
additional web service parameters are:
format=text
This format is only available for the count
,
query
, and version
methods.
format=xml
The xml format is dependent upon the request method
used.
-
method=query
Response format is Quakeml 1.2. Mime-type is "application/xml". -
method=count
Response format is xml. Mime-type is “application/xml”.
Time
All times use ISO8601 Date/Time format. Unless a timezone is specified, UTC is assumed. Examples:
- 2024-10-30, Implicit UTC timezone, and time at start of the day (00:00:00)
- 2024-10-30T03:28:00, Implicit UTC timezone.
- 2024-10-30T03:28:00+00:00, Explicit timezone.
parameter | type | default | description |
---|---|---|---|
endtime |
String | present time | Limit to events on or before the specified end time. NOTE: All times use ISO8601 Date/Time format. Unless a timezone is specified, UTC is assumed. |
starttime |
String | NOW - 30 days | Limit to events on or after the specified start time. NOTE: All times use ISO8601 Date/Time format. Unless a timezone is specified, UTC is assumed. |
updatedafter |
String | null | Limit to events updated after the specified time. NOTE: All times use ISO8601 Date/Time format. Unless a timezone is specified, UTC is assumed. |
Location
Requests that use both rectangle and circle will return the intersection, which may be empty, use with caution.
Rectangle
Requests may use any combination of these parameters.
parameter | type | default | description |
---|---|---|---|
minlatitude |
Decimal [-90,90] degrees | -90 | Limit to events with a latitude larger than the specified minimum. NOTE: min values must be less than max values. |
minlongitude |
Decimal [-360,360] degrees | -180 | Limit to events with a longitude larger than the specified minimum. NOTE: rectangles may cross the date line by using a minlongitude < -180 or maxlongitude > 180. NOTE: min values must be less than max values. |
maxlatitude |
Decimal [-90,90] degrees | 90 | Limit to events with a latitude smaller than the specified maximum. NOTE: min values must be less than max values. |
maxlongitude |
Decimal [-360,360] degrees | 180 | Limit to events with a longitude smaller than the specified maximum. NOTE: rectangles may cross the date line by using a minlongitude < -180 or maxlongitude > 180. NOTE: min values must be less than max values. |
Circle
Requests must include all of latitude, longitude, and maxradius to perform a circle search.
parameter | type | default | description |
---|---|---|---|
latitude |
Decimal [-90,90] degrees | null | Specify the latitude to be used for a radius search. |
longitude |
Decimal [-180,180] degrees | null | Specify the longitude to be used for a radius search. |
maxradius |
Decimal [0, 180] degrees | 180 | Limit to events within the specified maximum number of degrees from the geographic point defined by the latitude and longitude parameters. NOTE: This option is mutually exclusive with maxradiuskm and specifying both will result in an error. |
maxradiuskm |
Decimal [0, 20001.6] km | 20001.6 | Limit to events within the specified maximum number of kilometers from the geographic point defined by the latitude and longitude parameters. NOTE: This option is mutually exclusive with maxradius and specifying both will result in an error. |
Other
parameter | type | default | description |
---|---|---|---|
catalog |
String | null | Limit to events from a specified catalog. Use the Catalogs Method to find available catalogs. NOTE: when catalog and contributor are omitted, the most preferred information from any catalog or contributor for the event is returned. |
contributor |
String | null | Limit to events contributed by a specified contributor. Use the Contributors Method to find available contributors. NOTE: when catalog and contributor are omitted, the most preferred information from any catalog or contributor for the event is returned. |
eventid |
String | null | Select a specific event by ID; event identifiers are data center specific. NOTE: Selecting a specific event implies includeallorigins, includeallmagnitudes, and, additionally, associated moment tensor and focal-mechanisms are included. |
includeallmagnitudes |
Boolean | false | Specify if all magnitudes for the event should be included, default is data center dependent but is suggested to be the preferred magnitude only. NOTE: because magnitudes and origins are strongly associated, this parameter is interchangeable with includeallmagnitudes |
includeallorigins |
Boolean | false | Specify if all origins for the event should be included, default is data center dependent but is suggested to be the preferred origin only. NOTE: because magnitudes and origins are strongly associated, this parameter is interchangable with includeallmagnitudes |
includearrivals |
Boolean | false | Specify if phase arrivals should be included. NOTE: NOT CURRENTLY IMPLEMENTED |
includedeleted |
Boolean, or "only" | false |
Specify if deleted products and events should be included.
The value only returns only deleted events.
Deleted events otherwise return the HTTP status
NOTE: Only supported by the |
includesuperseded |
Boolean | false | Specify if superseded products should be included. This also includes all deleted products, and is mutually exclusive to the includedeleted parameter. NOTE: Only works when specifying eventid parameter. |
limit |
Integer [1,20000] | null | Limit the results to the specified number of events. NOTE: The service limits queries to 20000, and any that exceed this limit will generate a HTTP response code “400 Bad Request”. |
maxdepth |
Decimal [-100, 1000] km | 1000 | Limit to events with depth less than the specified maximum. |
maxmagnitude |
Decimal | null | Limit to events with a magnitude smaller than the specified maximum. |
mindepth |
Decimal [-100, 1000] km | -100 | Limit to events with depth more than the specified minimum. |
minmagnitude |
Decimal | null | Limit to events with a magnitude larger than the specified minimum. |
offset |
Integer[1,∞] | 1 | Return results starting at the event count specified, starting at 1. |
orderby |
String | time | Order the results. The allowed values are: |
Extensions
parameter | type | default | description |
---|---|---|---|
alertlevel |
String | null | Limit to events with a specific PAGER alert level. The allowed values are: |
callback |
String | null |
Convert GeoJSON output to a JSONP response using this callback.
Mime-type is “text/javascript”.
Callback values are restricted to the characters
|
eventtype |
String | null | Limit to events of a specific type. NOTE: “earthquake” will filter non-earthquake events. |
jsonerror |
Boolean | false | Request JSON(P) formatted output even on API error results. NOTE: Must be used with format=geojson |
kmlanimated |
Boolean | false | Whether to include timestamp in generated kml, for google earth animation support. NOTE: Must be used with format=kml |
kmlcolorby |
String | age | How earthquakes are colored. Accepted values are: | NOTE: Must be used with format=kml
maxcdi |
Decimal [0,12] | null | Maximum value for Maximum Community Determined Intensity reported by DYFI. |
maxgap |
Decimal [0,360] degrees | null | Limit to events with no more than this azimuthal gap. |
maxmmi |
Decimal [0,12] | null | Maximum value for Maximum Modified Mercalli Intensity reported by ShakeMap. |
maxsig |
Integer | null | Limit to events with no more than this significance. |
mincdi |
Decimal | null | Minimum value for Maximum Community Determined Intensity reported by DYFI. |
minfelt |
Integer[1,∞] | null | Limit to events with this many DYFI responses. |
mingap |
Decimal[0,360] degrees | null | Limit to events with no less than this azimuthal gap. |
minsig |
Integer | null | Limit to events with no less than this significance. |
nodata |
Integer (204|404) | 204 | Define the error code that will be returned when no data is found. |
producttype |
String | null | Limit to events that have this type of product associated. Example producttypes: |
productcode |
String | null | Return the event that is associated with the productcode. The event will be returned even if the productcode is not the preferred code for the event. Example productcodes: |
reviewstatus |
String | all | Limit to events with a specific review status. The different review statuses are: |