# USGS Latest Earthquakes

The US government's live map and catalog of earthquakes worldwide, with minute-by-minute GeoJSON feeds and a searchable query API.

- Category: Live planet · by U.S. Geological Survey
- Website: https://earthquake.usgs.gov/
- Live data: yes
- Checked on the official pages: 2026-10-23

## API

- Official API: yes, docs https://earthquake.usgs.gov/fdsnws/event/1/
- Key needed: no
- Price: Free; limits: Queries are limited to 20,000 events; larger requests return HTTP 400. Automated apps should prefer the real-time GeoJSON feeds.
- Base URL: https://earthquake.usgs.gov/fdsnws/event/1/
- Formats: geojson, csv, kml, xml, quakeml, text

Example request:

```
https://earthquake.usgs.gov/fdsnws/event/1/query?format=geojson&starttime=2014-01-01&endtime=2014-01-02
```

## Data and license

- Download: https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/feed/v1.0/summary/all_day.geojson (geojson, csv, kml, quakeml)
- License: public domain (U.S. Government work) (https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits); covers USGS-authored data and information
- Commercial use OK
- Credit required
- Embedding unclear
- Quote (commercial): "USGS-authored or produced data and information are considered to be in the U.S. Public Domain." (https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits)
- Quote (attribution): "When using information from USGS information products, publications, or websites, we ask that proper credit be given." (https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits)
- Quote (api_official): "This is an implementation of the FDSN Event Web Service Specification , and allows custom searches for earthquake information using a variety of parameters." (https://earthquake.usgs.gov/fdsnws/event/1/)
- Quote (limits): "NOTE: The service limits queries to 20000, and any that exceed this limit will generate a HTTP response code “400 Bad Request”." (https://earthquake.usgs.gov/fdsnws/event/1/)
- Quote (feeds): "Please note that automated applications should use Real-time GeoJSON Feeds for displaying earthquake information whenever possible" (https://earthquake.usgs.gov/fdsnws/event/1/)
- Quote (feed_purpose): "GeoJSON is intended to be used as a programatic interface for applications." (https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/feed/v1.0/geojson.php)

## Rules for an agent

- For live maps poll the summary GeoJSON feeds (e.g. /earthquakes/feed/v1.0/summary/all_hour.geojson, updated every minute, no key); use fdsnws/event/1/query only for historical searches, max 20,000 events per call.
- Data is public domain; credit 'U.S. Geological Survey' as USGS asks.
- Use the real-time GeoJSON feeds for live displays instead of hammering the query API.
- Keep each query under 20,000 events (split by time window).

## Build ideas on AgentGid

- [Earthquake alerts near you in Telegram](https://agentgid.com/resources/ideas/earthquake-alert-bot/agent.md)
- [A live globe of today's earthquakes](https://agentgid.com/resources/ideas/live-quake-globe/agent.md)

Human page: https://agentgid.com/resources/usgs-earthquakes/
Source: AgentGid (agentgid.com). Facts are quoted from the site's own pages; check the license page before you ship.