HISTORICAL EVENT INTELLIGENCE · EARTHQUAKE
Earthquake Data
73,700+ global earthquake records from 1999 to present — magnitude, depth, USGS ShakeMap intensity, PGA contours, and population exposure. Download a free sample, license the full dataset, or stream it live by API.
What's in the dataset
Event-level earthquake records from the 546,000-record DisasterAWARE historical hazard archive.
Magnitude & depth
On every record; 99.5% filled, with a magnitude_source field so you can isolate ShakeMap-assessed events
ShakeMap intensity (MMI)
Maximum Modified Mercalli intensity for the 12,600+ events USGS processed — typically M4.5+ on land
PGA contours
Peak-ground-acceleration contour polygons, the shaking footprint rather than a point
Coordinates & timing
Epicenter and origin time on every record, including offshore events with no country code
Population & economic exposure
Modeled exposure inside the shaking footprint — the impact metric we recommend for earthquakes
Global coverage
207 countries plus open-ocean events, contiguous from 1999
Records by magnitude
Two things we state up front rather than bury: earthquake records carry no fatality counts — exposure is the impact metric here — and these are event records whose detection density improves across the archive, so rising counts over time partly reflect better global monitoring rather than more earthquakes.
Start with a real sample
The M8.3 Illapel megathrust and its aftershock sequence — free, no signup.
Eight events from September 16–28, 2015 off the Chilean coast: the M8.3 Illapel mainshock plus seven principal aftershocks from M6.2 to M7.0. Each carries ShakeMap-derived magnitude, depth, maximum MMI and peak ground acceleration, with 43 PGA contour polygons — the same structure full datasets ship in.
Earthquake data by place
Risk scores, current activity, and event history for cities worldwide.
Watching something right now? Live earthquake activity shows what the feed is tracking this hour.
Two ways to get it
The same earthquake records, served for history or for right now.
Historical datasets
Bulk exports filtered to your geography, magnitude threshold, and date range — CSV, GeoJSON, or NDJSON, by subscription or one-time purchase.
Historical Event Intelligence →Real-time earthquake API
Earthquakes as they are detected and assessed, with shaking footprints and exposure — the live end of the same record structure.
Event Intelligence API →Earthquake Data — FAQ
Where can I download historical earthquake data?
DisasterAWARE offers a free earthquake dataset sample — the M8.3 Illapel, Chile megathrust and its seven principal aftershocks from September 2015 — as CSV and GeoJSON with no signup, including USGS ShakeMap-derived assessment and 43 peak-ground-acceleration contour polygons. Full historical earthquake datasets, filtered to your geography and magnitude range, are licensed through Historical Event Intelligence.
What does the earthquake dataset contain?
73,700+ global earthquake records with contiguous coverage from 1999. Every record carries magnitude, depth, coordinates, and timing. Records USGS processed with ShakeMap — typically magnitude 4.5 and above on land — additionally carry maximum Modified Mercalli intensity (MMI), peak ground acceleration contours, and ShakeMap magnitude. Formats are CSV, GeoJSON, and NDJSON.
Is there an earthquake API?
Yes — two. The Event Intelligence API streams earthquakes in real time as they are detected and assessed, and Historical Event Intelligence serves the archive by query: by magnitude threshold, radius around a point, country or state, intensity, date range, or exposed population.
Does the data include earthquake death tolls?
No, and we would rather say so plainly than imply otherwise. Fatality counts are not populated on earthquake records in this dataset. Population and economic exposure — how many people and how much value sat inside the shaking footprint — is the impact metric available for earthquakes, and it is the one we recommend for ranking and comparison.
How is earthquake magnitude sourced?
Magnitude is 99.5% filled. About 17% comes from USGS ShakeMap assessments; the remainder is parsed from the authoritative record name as published at the time. A magnitude_source field tells you which applies to any given record, so you can filter to ShakeMap-assessed events when provenance matters.