# Earthquake Sample This page provides a complete sample response for an earthquake hazard from the Active Hazards API endpoint. This example demonstrates the full structure of an earthquake hazard object, including incident details, ShakeMap coverage data, alert geometry, exposure areas, and exposure assessment data. ## Earthquake-Specific Properties ### Incident Data The `incident.properties` object of the earthquake provides detailed seismological data sourced from the USGS National Earthquake Information Center (NEIC). This snapshot includes several key properties that describe the physical characteristics and impact potential of the earthquake. **Key incident properties for earthquakes include:** * `magRounded` - Rounded magnitude of the earthquake (e.g., 5.5) * `mag` - Precise magnitude value from USGS * `depthKm` / `depthMile` - Depth of the earthquake in kilometers and miles * `place` - Human-readable location description * `title` - Full hazard title including magnitude and location * `magType` - Magnitude type used for measurement (e.g., mww, Mi, mb) * `tsunami` - Tsunami flag (0 = no tsunami warning, 1 = tsunami warning issued) * `sig` - Significance score (0-1000) combining magnitude, felt reports, and damage * `mmi` - Modified Mercalli Intensity estimate (decimal value representing expected shaking intensity) * `alert` - PAGER alert level indicating estimated impact (green, yellow, orange, red) * `cdi` - Community Decimal Intensity from "Did You Feel It?" reports * `felt` - Number of "Did You Feel It?" responses received * `url` - Direct link to the USGS earthquake event page * `detail` - URL to the USGS GeoJSON detail feed for this event * `id` - USGS event identifier (e.g., us7000s2bn) * `code` - Event code portion of the identifier * `ids` - Comma-delimited list of associated event IDs from contributing networks * `net` - Preferred contributing network (e.g., us, ak, ci) * `sources` - Comma-delimited list of contributing network codes * `types` - Comma-delimited list of available product types (e.g., shakemap, losspager, moment-tensor) * `nst` - Number of seismic stations used to determine location * `gap` - Largest azimuthal gap between adjacent stations (degrees) * `dmin` - Minimum distance to the nearest station (degrees) * `rms` - Root-mean-square travel time residual (seconds) * `time` - Origin time of the earthquake in epoch milliseconds * `updated` - Time when the event was last updated in epoch milliseconds * `status` - Review status of the earthquake data (e.g., reviewed, automatic) * `shakemapVersion` - Version of the ShakeMap product available for this event * `latitudeRounded` / `longitudeRounded` - Rounded epicenter coordinates * `featureType` - Feature classification (INCIDENT) * `reportDate` / `eventDate` - ISO 8601 timestamps for the report and event * `coordinate` - Epicenter location as a spatial reference object * `ingestedAt` / `processedAt` - Internal timestamps for data pipeline processing (epoch milliseconds) * `coveragePgaHighRes` - High-resolution Peak Ground Acceleration grid data from ShakeMap (see below) ### ShakeMap Coverage (coveragePgaHighRes) When ShakeMap data is available from the USGS, the `coveragePgaHighRes` property contains a high-resolution gridded Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA) dataset following the OGC CoverageJSON specification. This data represents the estimated ground shaking intensity across the affected area. **Structure:** * `domain` - Defines the geographic grid with `x` (longitude) and `y` (latitude) axes, including start/stop bounds and number of grid points (`num`) * `parameters.PGA` - Describes the parameter as Peak Ground Acceleration with units in natural logarithm of "g" (gravitational acceleration) * `ranges.PGA` - Contains the actual grid values as an NdArray with shape `[y, x]`. Values are `ln(g)` — convert to %g using `exp(value) * 100` ### Features The `features` property is `null` for standard earthquake hazards. When ShakeMap data is available from the USGS for significant earthquakes, this property may be populated with shake intensity contours and related geospatial features. ### Exposure Areas The `exposureAreas` property contains a GeoJSON FeatureCollection with polygon rings around the earthquake epicenter representing expected ground shaking intensity. The number of levels varies based on earthquake characteristics and available ShakeMap data: * **Level 1**: Moderate (V) to Strong (VI) shaking * **Level 2**: Very Strong (VII) shaking (when applicable) * **Level 3**: Severe (VIII+) shaking (when applicable) ### Exposure Assessment Units The `exposureAssessment` object uses the following units: * `foodNeedsUnit`: CAL (calories) * `waterNeedsUnit`: liter (liters) * `wasteNeedsUnit`: 100 liter (100-liter units) * `shelterNeedsUnit`: sq meters (square meters) ## Sample Response ```json { "name": [ { "locale": "en", "value": "Earthquake - 6.3 - 85 km W of Vallenar, Chile" } ], "description": [ { "locale": "en", "value": "An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.3 at a depth of 10.0 km (6.21 miles) has occurred at 85 km W of Vallenar, Chile, as reported by the National Earthquake Information Center (NEIC) of the USGS on March 13, 2026 13:39:18 UTC.\n\nBased on the preliminary data, earthquakes of this depth and magnitude are expected to result in moderate to severe shaking in the affected area. Initial estimates indicate that 1,260 people, 406 households, and $86.3 Million (USD) of infrastructure* are concentrated within the affected area. Exposure estimates will be refined as additional data from official sources becomes available. Additional information will be provided as it becomes available by official sources.\n\nEpicenter: Latitude: -28.684, Longitude: -71.6269\n*The cost represents the total replacement value of the infrastructure.\n\n" } ], "severity": "WATCH", "category": "EVENT", "incident": { "uuid": "03daa125-6cb7-4c3c-905d-97fa54d17f05", "type": "EARTHQUAKE", "sourceId": 3, "sourceRecordId": "us6000sg0y", "properties": { "magRounded": 6.3, "mmi": 5.967, "magType": "mww", "sig": 611, "tsunami": 0, "mag": 6.3, "reportDate": "2026-03-13T13:39:18.599000+00:00", "alert": "green", "featureType": "INCIDENT", "id": "us6000sg0y", "place": "85 km W of Vallenar, Chile", "depthMile": 6.21, "depthKm": 10, "url": "https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us6000sg0y", "status": "reviewed", "eventDate": "2026-03-13T13:39:18.599000+00:00", "...": "" } }, "uuid": "e129c22e-1d64-4b3f-899f-f9876fb94907", "comment": null, "createdAt": 1773410472, "relatedHazards": [], "longitude": -71.6269, "latitude": -28.684, "version": 5, "alertGeometry": { "type": "FeatureCollection", "features": [ { "type": "Feature", "geometry": { "type": "Polygon", "coordinates": [...] }, "properties": null } ] }, "features": null, "exposureAreas": { "type": "FeatureCollection", "name": "GeoJSON", "features": [ { "type": "Feature", "geometry": { "type": "MultiPolygon", "coordinates": [...] }, "properties": { "exposureLevel": 1 } } ] }, "exposureAssessment": { "population": { "total": 1260, "total0_14": 219, "total15_64": 869, "households": 406, "vulnerable": 82, "total65_Plus": 173 }, "capital": { "total": 86381200, "school": 0, "hospital": 0 }, "totalByCountry": [ { "population": { "total": 1260, "total0_14": 219, "total15_64": 869, "households": 406, "vulnerable": 82, "total65_Plus": 173 }, "country": "CHL", "capital": { "total": 86381200, "school": 0, "hospital": 0 }, "admin0": "Chile", "admin1": null, "admin2": null, "foodNeedsUnit": "CAL", "foodNeeds": 171990.0, "waterNeedsUnit": "liter", "waterNeeds": 245.7, "wasteNeedsUnit": "100 liter", "wasteNeeds": 8.19, "shelterNeedsUnit": "sq meters", "shelterNeeds": 282.555 } ], "totalByAdmin": [ { "population": { "total": 1260, "total0_14": 219, "total15_64": 869, "households": 406, "vulnerable": 82, "total65_Plus": 173 }, "country": "CHL", "capital": { "total": 86381200, "school": 0, "hospital": 0 }, "admin0": "Chile", "admin1": null, "admin2": null, "foodNeedsUnit": "CAL", "foodNeeds": 171990.0, "waterNeedsUnit": "liter", "waterNeeds": 245.7, "wasteNeedsUnit": "100 liter", "wasteNeeds": 8.19, "shelterNeedsUnit": "sq meters", "shelterNeeds": 282.555 } ], "exposureLevels": [ { "level": "1", "data": { "population": { "total": 1260, "total0_14": 219, "total15_64": 869, "households": 406, "vulnerable": 82, "total65_Plus": 173 }, "capital": { "total": 86381200, "school": 0, "hospital": 0 }, "totalByCountry": [ { "population": { "total": 1260, "total0_14": 219, "total15_64": 869, "households": 406, "vulnerable": 82, "total65_Plus": 173 }, "country": "CHL", "capital": { "total": 86381200, "school": 0, "hospital": 0 }, "admin0": "Chile", "admin1": null, "admin2": null, "foodNeedsUnit": "CAL", "foodNeeds": 171990.0, "waterNeedsUnit": "liter", "waterNeeds": 245.7, "wasteNeedsUnit": "100 liter", "wasteNeeds": 8.19, "shelterNeedsUnit": "sq meters", "shelterNeeds": 282.555 } ], "totalByAdmin": [ { "population": { "total": 1260, "total0_14": 219, "total15_64": 869, "households": 406, "vulnerable": 82, "total65_Plus": 173 }, "country": "CHL", "capital": { "total": 86381200, "school": 0, "hospital": 0 }, "admin0": "Chile", "admin1": null, "admin2": null, "foodNeedsUnit": "CAL", "foodNeeds": 171990.0, "waterNeedsUnit": "liter", "waterNeeds": 245.7, "wasteNeedsUnit": "100 liter", "wasteNeeds": 8.19, "shelterNeedsUnit": "sq meters", "shelterNeeds": 282.555 } ], "foodNeedsUnit": "CAL", "foodNeeds": 171990.0, "waterNeedsUnit": "liter", "waterNeeds": 245.7, "wasteNeedsUnit": "100 liter", "wasteNeeds": 8.19, "shelterNeedsUnit": "sq meters", "shelterNeeds": 282.555 }, "exposureDescription": "Moderate (V) to Strong (VI) Shaking" } ], "hazardUuid": "", "hazardType": "", "version": "", "timestamp": "1773410463233", "exposureDescription": "", "foodNeedsUnit": "CAL", "foodNeeds": 171990.0, "waterNeedsUnit": "liter", "waterNeeds": 245.7, "wasteNeedsUnit": "100 liter", "wasteNeeds": 8.19, "shelterNeedsUnit": "sq meters", "shelterNeeds": 282.555 }, "type": "EARTHQUAKE", "creator": "RICHTER", "source": null, "startedAt": 1773409158, "updatedAt": 1773410463, "endedAt": 1773581958 } ``` {% hint style="info" %} Note: In this sample, coordinate arrays in `alertGeometry` and `exposureAreas` have been replaced with `[...]` for brevity. In actual API responses, these properties contain complete GeoJSON coordinate arrays. The `incident.properties` object has been truncated with `"..."` to show only key fields — internal pipeline fields (`__kafka_message_key__`, `sourceMessageHash`, `ingestedAt`, `processedAt`, `master_incident_id`, `craton`, `tz`, `name`) are omitted from the sample. This earthquake did not include ShakeMap coverage data (`coveragePgaHighRes`); when available, that property contains a high-resolution PGA grid — see the ShakeMap Coverage section above for details. {% endhint %} --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://api-v2-docs.disasteraware.com/hazards/hazard-samples/earthquake-sample.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.