How to Use the IRIS Earthquake Browser URL Builder for Precise Queries

IRIS Earthquake Browser URL Builder: Quick Guide to Crafting Custom Links

This quick guide shows how to construct custom IRIS Earthquake Browser URLs to query seismic event data, include useful parameters, and share reproducible searches.

What the URL controls

• Location & radius: center point and search distance.
• Time range: start and end times for events.
• Magnitude & depth filters: min/max magnitude and depth.
• Event types & networks: choose catalogs, networks, or phases.
• Display options: map layers, list vs map view, and result limits.

Base URL

Use the Earthquake Browser base and add query parameters. (Example base:)

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https://www.iris.edu/earthquake_browser/search

Common parameters (examples)

• starttime= ISO 8601 start (e.g., 2024-01-01T00:00:00)
• endtime= ISO 8601 end (e.g., 2024-01-31T23:59:59)
• minmagnitude= numeric minimum magnitude (e.g., 2.5)
• maxmagnitude= numeric maximum magnitude (optional)
• latitude= center latitude (decimal degrees)
• longitude= center longitude (decimal degrees)
• maxradiuskm= search radius in kilometers
• mindepth= / maxdepth= depth filters in kilometers
• limit= maximum number of results to return
• format= desired output (e.g., geojson, csv) — if supported

Example parameter string:

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?starttime=2024-01-01T00:00:00&endtime=2024-01-31T23:59:59&minmagnitude=3.0&latitude=34.05&longitude=-118.25&maxradiuskm=100&format=geojson 

Example complete URL

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https://www.iris.edu/earthquake_browser/search?starttime=2024-01-01T00:00:00&endtime=2024-01-31T23:59:59&minmagnitude=3.0&latitude=34.05&longitude=-118.25&maxradiuskm=100&format=geojson

Tips for building links

1. Use ISO 8601 timestamps and URL-encode special characters (colon, plus).
2. Start wide, then narrow — test with larger time windows or looser filters.
3. Limit results during testing to avoid large payloads (use limit=100).
4. Save templates for recurring searches by keeping a parameter list.
5. Validate output format by trying format=geojson or csv if supported.

Troubleshooting

• If you get no results, widen time range or radius, or lower minmagnitude.
• 400-series errors usually indicate malformed parameters or bad timestamps.
• If the format parameter is ignored, the browser may only support HTML—use the API endpoint if available.

Quick reference parameter example table

Use these pieces to quickly compose shareable IRIS Earthquake Browser links tailored to your region, time, and magnitude of interest.