Live Earthquake Tracker (USGS) Community
Questions, answers and tips from people who use the Live Earthquake Tracker (USGS). See recent earthquakes worldwide on a live map and list, straight from the USGS.
Ask a question about Live Earthquake Tracker (USGS)
Anyone can read this page. To ask a question, reply or vote, please log in. It takes under a minute.
Log in to askNo questions yet. Yours can be first.
This page shows only real posts from real people, so it starts empty. The guide below has the questions people most often have about the Live Earthquake Tracker (USGS). Pick one to start a thread, or write your own.
From the tool guide: common questions about Live Earthquake Tracker (USGS)
The items below are not posts by community members. They come from the written guide for this tool and are here to get a conversation started. Use “Ask a follow-up” to open a thread about any of them.
Where does the data come from?
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program's public GeoJSON feeds.
From the tool guide Ask a follow-upHow often does it update?
The USGS updates about every minute and this page reloads every two minutes.
From the tool guide Ask a follow-upWhat do the magnitude numbers mean?
Each whole number is about 32 times more energy. Below 3 is rarely felt, 5+ can damage weak buildings, 7+ is major.
From the tool guide Ask a follow-upWhy does a quake disappear or change?
Early automatic locations are reviewed by seismologists and can be corrected or removed.
From the tool guide Ask a follow-upCan it warn me?
No. It is an information page, not an early-warning system.
From the tool guide Ask a follow-upIs any of my data collected?
No, everything is read directly by your browser.
From the tool guide Ask a follow-upWhat this tool does
See which earthquakes have just happened anywhere on Earth. This tracker reads the live feed from the United States Geological Survey (USGS), updated every minute, and lists every quake with its magnitude, location, time, depth and a link to the official event page. A colour-coded world plot shows where they struck: bigger and redder dots mean stronger earthquakes.
How to use it, step by step
- Pick a time period and a minimum magnitude.
- Scan the list and the world plot.
- Type a country or region to filter.
- Click details for the official USGS page.
Tips from the guide
- Small quakes (below 2.5) are only complete for the US; worldwide coverage is reliable from about 4.5.
- Magnitudes are often revised in the first hours.
- Shallow, strong quakes near towns are the most damaging.
- Use official alerts for safety decisions.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Treating every dot as dangerous — most are tiny.
- Comparing magnitudes without depth (deep quakes shake less).
- Relying on this page instead of official early-warning alerts.
Who uses it
- Residents of quake-prone areas. Check what that rumble was.
- Students and teachers. Explore real seismic data.
- Travellers and journalists. Follow activity around the world.
How to ask a question people can answer
A good thread on the Live Earthquake Tracker (USGS) saves everyone time. Start with a title that names the exact problem, such as the input you used, the result you expected and the result you got. A title like “Not working” is hard to answer, while a title with the specifics gets replies quickly.
- Say what you tried. List the steps you followed and any settings you changed, so replies do not repeat what you already did.
- Share a small example. A short sample input and the output you saw is worth more than a long description. Remove anything private first.
- Mention your setup. Your device, browser and whether you are on a phone or a computer can explain many odd results.
- One question per thread. Separate topics get clearer answers and are easier to find later with the search box above.
- Come back and reply. If a suggestion worked, say so and upvote it, and if you found the fix yourself, post it for the next person.
Community rules
Be kind, stay on topic and keep personal data out of your posts. Do not post adult, hateful or illegal content, advertising or repeated links. Every post is shown with its author’s username and date, and posts that break these rules can be hidden by moderators. This space is for help with the Live Earthquake Tracker (USGS) and related tasks, and it is separate from the sitewide discussion forum where broader topics live.