# USGS Earthquake API: Search Quakes by Magnitude & Area (`lepidata/usgs-earthquakes`) Actor

Search the USGS earthquake catalog by time, magnitude, depth, bounding box or radius via the public FDSN event API. Not for emergency use.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/lepidata/usgs-earthquakes.md
- **Developed by:** [Lepi Data](https://apify.com/lepidata) (community)
- **Categories:** Developer tools, Other
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $0.10 / 1,000 earthquakes

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## USGS Earthquake API: Search Quakes by Magnitude & Area

**What it does.** Search the USGS earthquake catalog by time, magnitude, depth, bounding box or radius via the public FDSN event API. Not for emergency use. Returns one row per earthquake.

**Input** (from `.actor/input_schema.json`)

- `lastDays` or `startTime` / `endTime` (ISO 8601 UTC; default last 30 days)
- `minMagnitude`, `maxMagnitude`, `minDepthKm`, `maxDepthKm`
- Area: a box (`minLatitude`, `maxLatitude`, `minLongitude`, `maxLongitude`) **or** a circle (`latitude`, `longitude`, `maxRadiusKm`)
- `orderBy`: time, time-asc, magnitude, magnitude-asc
- `maxItems`: up to 20,000

**Output fields**
`id`, `time`, `updated`, `latitude`, `longitude`, `depthKm`, `mag`, `magType`, `place`, `title`, `eventType`, `status`, `tsunami`, `alert`, `felt`, `cdi`, `mmi`, `sig`, `net`, `url`
Free status rows (not charged): `no-results`, `invalid-input`, `api-error`, `free-plan-limit`, `charge-limit-reached`.

**Example** (the build's prefill)
Input: `{"lastDays":7,"minMagnitude":4.5,"orderBy":"time","maxItems":50}`

**Data source and compliance**

- Source: U.S. Geological Survey Earthquake Hazards Program, FDSN event web service (earthquake.usgs.gov). Public, no key; USGS data is in the U.S. public domain. Courtesy: U.S. Geological Survey. This is an independent Lepi Data tool, **not affiliated with or endorsed by the USGS**. No USGS logos are used.
- **Not for emergency response, early warning or any life-safety decision.** Data can be delayed or revised. For official information use earthquake.usgs.gov and local authorities.
- Paced at about one request per second, with back-off on errors.
- Free-plan accounts get up to 100 results per run.

**Pricing.** Pay per result, flat on every plan, no start fee. Free status rows are never charged.

# Actor input Schema

## `lastDays` (type: `integer`):

Shortcut for the start time. Ignored if Start time is set. Default window: 30 days.

## `startTime` (type: `string`):

ISO 8601 UTC, e.g. 2026-10-01 or 2026-10-01T00:00:00.

## `endTime` (type: `string`):

ISO 8601 UTC. Default: now.

## `minMagnitude` (type: `number`):

e.g. 4.5.

## `maxMagnitude` (type: `number`):

Optional.

## `minDepthKm` (type: `number`):

Only earthquakes at least this deep, in km (negative values are above sea level).

## `maxDepthKm` (type: `number`):

Only earthquakes at most this deep, in km.

## `minLatitude` (type: `number`):

Bounding box: southern edge, in decimal degrees.

## `maxLatitude` (type: `number`):

Bounding box: northern edge, in decimal degrees.

## `minLongitude` (type: `number`):

Bounding box: western edge, in decimal degrees.

## `maxLongitude` (type: `number`):

Bounding box: eastern edge, in decimal degrees.

## `latitude` (type: `number`):

Circle search: center latitude in decimal degrees. Use with longitude and radius.

## `longitude` (type: `number`):

Circle search: center longitude in decimal degrees. Use with latitude and radius.

## `maxRadiusKm` (type: `number`):

Circle search: radius around the center, in km.

## `orderBy` (type: `string`):

Newest first by default.

## `maxItems` (type: `integer`):

Up to 20,000 (service limit).

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "lastDays": 7,
  "minMagnitude": 4.5,
  "orderBy": "time",
  "maxItems": 50
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `items` (type: `string`):

All rows from this run.

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "lastDays": 7,
    "minMagnitude": 4.5,
    "maxItems": 50
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("lepidata/usgs-earthquakes").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {
    "lastDays": 7,
    "minMagnitude": 4.5,
    "maxItems": 50,
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("lepidata/usgs-earthquakes").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "lastDays": 7,
  "minMagnitude": 4.5,
  "maxItems": 50
}' |
apify call lepidata/usgs-earthquakes --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,lepidata/usgs-earthquakes"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/m3gBGyH1QZfv4dUCg/builds/6yUgVRocOthwRvzyR/openapi.json