How to hit the USGS Earthquakes API

The USGS earthquake catalog at https://earthquake.usgs.gov/fdsnws/event/1 is searchable by time, place, and magnitude, and returns GeoJSON.

Authentication

None — no key, no signup. Every example runs as-is.

Full reference: https://earthquake.usgs.gov/fdsnws/event/1/

Recent large earthquakes

Magnitude 6+, newest first.

curl "https://earthquake.usgs.gov/fdsnws/event/1/query?format=geojson&minmagnitude=6&limit=2&orderby=time"
Run in PostTaco
Example response (trimmed)
{
  "type": "FeatureCollection",
  "metadata": {
    "generated": 1790198174000,
    "url": "https://earthquake.usgs.gov/fdsnws/event/1/query?format=geojson&minmagnitude=6&limit=2&orderby=time",
    "title": "USGS Earthquakes",
    "status": 200,
    "api": "2.7.0",
    "limit": 2,
    "offset": 1
  },
  "features": [
    {
      "type": "Feature",
      "properties": {
        "mag": 6.4,
        "place": "49 km NNE of Kainantu, Papua New Guinea",
        "time": 1789895855624,
        "updated": 1789982725530,
        "tz": null,
        "url": "https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us7000tiqc",
        "detail": "https://earthquake.usgs.gov/fdsnws/event/1/query?eventid=us7000tiqc&format=geojson",
        "felt": 30,
        "cdi": 5.6,
        "mmi": 5.41,
        "alert": "green",
        "status": "reviewed",
        "tsunami": 0,
        "sig": 647,
        "net": "us"
      },
      "geometry": {
        "type": "Point",
        "coordinates": [
          146.0922,
          -5.9021
        ]
      },
      "id": "us7000tiqc"
    },
    {
      "type": "Feature",
      "properties": {
        "mag": 6.5,
        "place": "169 km W of Nikolski, Alaska",
        "time": 1789654792210,
        "updated": 1790173803267,
        "tz": null,
        "url": "https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us7000ti1p",
        "detail": "https://earthquake.usgs.gov/fdsnws/event/1/query?eventid=us7000ti1p&format=geojson",
        "felt": 8,
        "cdi": 3.4,
        "mmi": 4.983,
        "alert": "green",
        "status": "reviewed",
        "tsunami": 1,
        "sig": 653,
        "net": "us"
      },
      "geometry": {
        "type": "Point",
        "coordinates": [
          -171.3756,
          52.8594
        ]
      },
      "id": "us7000ti1p"
    }
  ],
  "bbox": [
    -171.3756,
    -5.9021
  ]
}

Earthquakes near a place

Within maxradiuskm of a point, over a date range.

curl "https://earthquake.usgs.gov/fdsnws/event/1/query?format=geojson&latitude=37.77&longitude=-122.42&maxradiuskm=100&starttime=2025-01-01&minmagnitude=3&limit=2"
Run in PostTaco
Example response (trimmed)
{
  "type": "FeatureCollection",
  "metadata": {
    "generated": 1790198174000,
    "url": "https://earthquake.usgs.gov/fdsnws/event/1/query?format=geojson&latitude=37.77&longitude=-122.42&maxradiuskm=100&starttime=2025-01-01&minmagnitude=3&limit=2",
    "title": "USGS Earthquakes",
    "status": 200,
    "api": "2.7.0",
    "limit": 2,
    "offset": 1
  },
  "features": [
    {
      "type": "Feature",
      "properties": {
        "mag": 3.12,
        "place": "9 km ENE of Blackhawk, CA",
        "time": 1789197955810,
        "updated": 1790105325751,
        "tz": null,
        "url": "https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/nc75434122",
        "detail": "https://earthquake.usgs.gov/fdsnws/event/1/query?eventid=nc75434122&format=geojson",
        "felt": 257,
        "cdi": 3.4,
        "mmi": null,
        "alert": null,
        "status": "reviewed",
        "tsunami": 0,
        "sig": 237,
        "net": "nc"
      },
      "geometry": {
        "type": "Point",
        "coordinates": [
          -121.820833333333,
          37.8628333333333
        ]
      },
      "id": "nc75434122"
    },
    {
      "type": "Feature",
      "properties": {
        "mag": 3.34,
        "place": "3 km ESE of Larkfield-Wikiup, CA",
        "time": 1788456807320,
        "updated": 1789070003040,
        "tz": null,
        "url": "https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/nc75429272",
        "detail": "https://earthquake.usgs.gov/fdsnws/event/1/query?eventid=nc75429272&format=geojson",
        "felt": 1843,
        "cdi": 3.4,
        "mmi": 3.647,
        "alert": null,
        "status": "reviewed",
        "tsunami": 0,
        "sig": 512,
        "net": "nc"
      },
      "geometry": {
        "type": "Point",
        "coordinates": [
          -122.715,
          38.501
        ]
      },
      "id": "nc75429272"
    }
  ],
  "bbox": [
    -122.715,
    37.862833333333
  ]
}

Count only

Just the number of matching events.

curl "https://earthquake.usgs.gov/fdsnws/event/1/count?format=geojson&starttime=2025-01-01&endtime=2025-12-31&minmagnitude=5"
Run in PostTaco
Example response (trimmed)
{
  "count": 2126,
  "maxAllowed": 20000
}