USGS Earthquake Normalizer 🌍

Search global earthquake events from the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program with AI-powered geological intelligence. Go beyond raw data — get tectonic plate classification, seismic region mapping, intensity interpretation, and risk scoring.

No API key needed — the USGS FDSN Event API is completely free and public.

✨ What Makes This Different

Most earthquake scrapers give you raw GeoJSON. This actor gives you geological intelligence:

• 🗺️ Tectonic Plate Mapping — Classifies each earthquake by its tectonic plate (Pacific, North American, Eurasian, Nazca, etc.) with descriptions
• 🌋 Seismic Region Classification — Maps events to 15 global seismic regions (Ring of Fire segments, Mediterranean Belt, Himalayan Belt, etc.)
• 📊 Intensity Interpretation — Uses MMI/CDI data or estimates shaking intensity from magnitude and depth
• ⚠️ Risk Scoring (0-100) — Multi-factor risk assessment: magnitude, depth, tsunami potential, alert level, and significance
• 🏷️ Depth Classification — Categories from "Very Shallow" to "Very Deep (300+ km)"
• 📈 Statistical Summary — Regional distribution, plate activity, risk levels, and intensity breakdowns

📥 Input Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
minMagnitude	number	❌	Minimum magnitude (default 4.5 for significant events)
maxMagnitude	number	❌	Maximum magnitude ceiling
startTime	string	❌	ISO 8601 start time (default: 7 days ago)
endTime	string	❌	ISO 8601 end time (default: now)
minDepth	number	❌	Minimum depth in km
maxDepth	number	❌	Maximum depth in km
region	string	❌	Bounding box: latMin,lonMin,latMax,lonMax
reviewStatus	select	❌	Filter: All, Reviewed, Automatic
includeTsunami	boolean	❌	Only events with tsunami warnings
maxResults	integer	❌	Max events (1-5000, default 100)
includeNearbyCities	boolean	❌	Look up nearest populated places

📤 Example Input

{
  "minMagnitude": 5.0,
  "startTime": "2026-07-01",
  "maxResults": 50,
  "reviewStatus": "reviewed"
}

📊 Example Output

============================================================================================
  USGS EARTHQUAKE REPORT — NORMALIZED WITH RISK ASSESSMENT
============================================================================================
  Period:        2026-07-01 to 2026-08-03
  Min Magnitude: M5.0
  Total Events:  50
  Magnitudes:   M5.0–M7.2 (avg M5.6)
  Tsunami Warnings: 3 (6.0%)
  Reviewed:      94.0%

  Top Seismic Regions                                   Count
  ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
  Ring of Fire — West Coast Americas                        15
  Ring of Fire — Indonesia                                  12
  Ring of Fire — Western Pacific                             8

  Top Tectonic Plates                                    Count
  ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
  Pacific Plate                                             18
  Indo-Australian Plate                                     10
  Nazca Plate                                                7

  Risk Distribution                                      Count
  ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
  Critical                                                   2
  High                                                      12
  Moderate                                                  22
  Low                                                       11
  Minimal                                                    3

  Earthquake Details (first 10):
  ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
    #    Mag  Place                          Region                 Risk    Depth
  ───  ─────  ────────────────────────────── ────────────────────── ──────── ────────────
    1    7.2  45 km SSE of Atka, Alaska      Ring of Fire — Alaska  Critical Very Shallow
    2    6.8  12 km SW of Port Vila, Vanuatu Ring of Fire — Oceania High     Shallow
    3    6.5  78 km NE of Finschhafen, PNG   Ring of Fire — Western  High     Intermediate

Each dataset item includes:

• Original fields: magnitude, place, time, depth, coordinates, URL
• tectonicPlate / plateDescription — tectonic classification
• seismicRegion — geographic seismic belt
• shakeIntensity / intensityLabel — interpreted shaking level
• riskScore (0-100) / riskLevel — composite risk assessment
• depthCategory — depth classification
• tsunamiWarning, alertLevel, significance

🎯 Use Cases

• Insurance & Reinsurance — Risk modeling, exposure assessment, CAT bond pricing
• Emergency Management — Real-time situational awareness, resource allocation
• Seismology Research — Global seismic pattern analysis, plate boundary studies
• News & Media — Automated earthquake reporting with geological context
• Supply Chain / Logistics — Disruption risk assessment for global operations
• Real Estate / Construction — Seismic hazard assessment for property portfolios
• AI/ML Training — Clean, classified seismic datasets for predictive models

🔗 Data Source

USGS Earthquake Hazards Program — Public domain, no API key required. Updated continuously with real-time data.