USGS Hazards — Free Earthquake and Geological Hazard API (No Key)

TL;DR

The USGS Earthquake Hazards API provides real-time access to global seismic event data from the US Geological Survey. You can query earthquakes by magnitude, time window, geographic region, and significance. Results return in GeoJSON format with magnitude, depth, location coordinates, time (Unix timestamp), and detailed event metadata. The FDSN event API is the standard interface used by seismologists worldwide.

Quick start: https://earthquake.usgs.gov/fdsnws/event/1/query?format=geojson&minmagnitude=5

No API key needed — just make a request!

How to Use This API

1. Recent M5+ Earthquakes

https://earthquake.usgs.gov/fdsnws/event/1/query?format=geojson&minmagnitude=5

2. Past 24 Hours, All Magnitudes

https://earthquake.usgs.gov/fdsnws/event/1/query?format=geojson&starttime=2026-06-15&endtime=2026-06-16

3. Near a Specific Location

https://earthquake.usgs.gov/fdsnws/event/1/query?format=geojson&latitude=35&longitude=-118&maxradiuskm=200&minmagnitude=3

4. JavaScript — Latest Earthquakes

fetch('https://earthquake.usgs.gov/fdsnws/event/1/query?format=geojson&minmagnitude=4.5&limit=10')
  .then(r => r.json())
  .then(d => {
    d.features.forEach(eq => {
      const p = eq.properties;
      console.log(`${p.mag} — ${p.place} (${new Date(p.time).toISOString()})`);
    });
  });

5. Python — Quake Map Data

import requests

resp = requests.get('https://earthquake.usgs.gov/fdsnws/event/1/query', params={
    'format': 'geojson',
    'minmagnitude': 2.5,
    'orderby': 'time',
    'limit': 20
})
for eq in resp.json()['features']:
    p = eq['properties']
    coords = eq['geometry']['coordinates']
    print(f"M{p['mag']} at {p['place']} — depth {coords[2]}km")

Try it: https://earthquake.usgs.gov/fdsnws/event/1/query?format=geojson&minmagnitude=4.5&limit=5

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Frequently Asked Questions

How quickly are earthquakes reported?: USGS typically reports significant earthquakes within 2-5 minutes of detection. Smaller events may take 10-30 minutes for automated processing.
What magnitude scales are used?: The API reports multiple magnitude types: mag (preferred), magType (ml=Richter, mw=Moment, mb=Body wave, ms=Surface wave), and others.
Can I get historical data?: Yes, use starttime and endtime parameters. The API covers seismic events from 1900 to present.
What does the GeoJSON format include?: Each feature includes geometry (longitude, latitude, depth), properties (mag, place, time, url, detail, felt, cdi, mmi, alert, tsunami, sig), and id.
How do I get detailed event info?: Use the detail URL from each feature's properties for full event data including phase data, magnitude calculations, and felt reports.

What You Can Build

Live earthquake map with magnitude-based markers
Seismic alert system for at-risk regions
Historical earthquake trend analyzer
Tsunami risk assessment tool
Earthquake education dashboard for schools