USGS Earthquake Data
Overview
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) Earthquake Hazards Program provides comprehensive earthquake data, monitoring, and research to assess earthquake hazards and risk. It is the definitive source of information for earthquake events worldwide.
Data Specifications
- Provider: USGS Earthquake Hazards Program (EHP)
- Frequency: Real-time for significant events, hourly/daily updates
- Data Latency: Minutes to hours for significant events, approximately 1 day for complete processing
- Data Type: Event-based with continuous monitoring
- Temporal Coverage: 1900 to present (comprehensive from 1973)
- Data Format: GeoJSON, CSV, KML, ShakeMap XML
- Coverage: Global
Variables
Onboarded Variables
The following earthquake parameters are currently implemented in Riskwolf's data processing pipeline:
| Variable | Units | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Earthquake events | n/a | Event detection and basic location data |
| Peak ground acceleration | g | Maximum ground acceleration measurement |
| Earthquake magnitude | Richter scale | Magnitude measurement (moment magnitude preferred) |
Available Variables
Additional earthquake parameters that can be onboarded from USGS EHP:
- Earthquake location coordinates (latitude, longitude, depth)
- Shake intensity measurements (Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale)
- Aftershock probability forecasts and sequences
- Comprehensive ground motion data (velocity, displacement)
- Felt reports from citizen science ("Did You Feel It?" program)
- ShakeMaps with detailed ground motion and shaking intensity
- PAGER impact estimates (economic losses, casualty estimates)
- Focal mechanism and fault plane solutions
- Seismic moment and energy release calculations
- Quality assessments and uncertainty measures
Key Features
- Global Seismic Network of monitoring stations
- Automated detection and characterization of seismic events
- Real-time alerting system
- Comprehensive historical earthquake database
- Integration with global monitoring networks
- Open data access through APIs and data services
Use in Parametric Insurance
USGS earthquake data is valuable for:
- Earthquake parametric insurance triggers
- Magnitude-based payout structures
- Shake intensity indices for more localized impact assessment
- Post-event loss assessment and verification
- Seismic risk modeling and portfolio management
- Rapid response planning and early payout decisions
- Development of earthquake early warning systems
Data Access
Data is freely available through the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program website, APIs, and real-time feeds. Both raw and processed data products are available for immediate use.
Official Source: USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
Link verified: ✅ Active (HTTP 200) - Last checked: 2025-09-24