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Primary Data Source

TerraQuake API uses INGV (Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia) as its primary source for seismic data. INGV is Italy’s authoritative institution for geophysics and volcanology research, providing real-time earthquake monitoring and analysis.

INGV

Official earthquake monitoring service from Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology

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Data Format

All earthquake data is provided in GeoJSON format, which is a widely-used standard for encoding geographic data structures.
Example GeoJSON Structure
{
  "type": "Feature",
  "properties": {
    "eventId": 44278572,
    "originId": 140102761,
    "time": "2025-09-26T19:33:46.440000",
    "author": "SURVEY-INGV",
    "magType": "ML",
    "mag": 1.0,
    "type": "earthquake",
    "place": "Costa Calabra sud-orientale (Reggio di Calabria)",
    "version": 100
  },
  "geometry": {
    "type": "Point",
    "coordinates": [16.2387, 37.9982, 10.5]
  }
}
The coordinates array follows the format: [longitude, latitude, depth_in_km].

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Data Coverage

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Geographic Coverage

While TerraQuake API primarily focuses on Italian seismic events, the INGV data source includes:
  • Primary: All Italian regions and territories
  • Extended: Mediterranean region
  • Additional: Significant global seismic events detected by INGV sensors

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Temporal Coverage

The API provides access to:
  • Real-time data: Current year earthquakes updated continuously
  • Historical data: Access to past seismic events through date range queries
  • Today’s events: Dedicated endpoint for same-day earthquakes
  • Recent events: Last 7 days, monthly, and custom time ranges

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Update Frequency

TerraQuake API fetches data from INGV in real-time:
  • Automated updates: Continuous synchronization with INGV sources
  • No caching delays: Data is fetched directly from INGV for each request
  • Event revisions: INGV may update event details (magnitude, location) as analysis improves
INGV events include a version number that increments when event data is refined or updated.

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Data Accuracy and Reliability

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Quality Assurance

  • Authoritative Source: INGV is the official Italian government institution for seismic monitoring
  • Professional Network: Data comes from a network of professional seismic stations across Italy
  • Peer-Reviewed: INGV follows international seismological standards and protocols
  • Event Verification: All events are verified and classified by expert seismologists

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Magnitude Types

INGV reports various magnitude types:
  • ML (Local Magnitude): Most common for regional events
  • Mw (Moment Magnitude): Used for larger earthquakes
  • Md (Duration Magnitude): Alternative calculation method

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Location Precision

Coordinates are provided with decimal precision:
  • Latitude/Longitude: Typically precise to 4 decimal places (~11 meters)
  • Depth: Reported in kilometers below sea level

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Station Network Data

In addition to earthquake events, TerraQuake API provides access to INGV’s seismic monitoring station network:
  • Station locations: GeoJSON formatted station positions
  • Operational status: Active and inactive stations
  • Network information: INGV network (IV) station details
  • Station metadata: Equipment information and operating periods

INGV FDSN Station Service

Access detailed technical documentation for INGV’s station web services

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Additional Resources

INGV Earthquake Portal

View real-time earthquakes on INGV’s official portal

INGV Web Services

Technical documentation for INGV’s web services

FDSN Standards

International standards for seismological data services

GeoJSON Specification

Learn more about the GeoJSON data format

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Data Limitations

While TerraQuake API strives to provide accurate real-time data, please note:
  • Data is dependent on INGV’s availability and service status
  • Very recent events (within minutes) may not yet be available
  • Event parameters may be revised as INGV refines their analysis
  • The API is intended for informational and research purposes, not emergency response

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Attribution

When using data from TerraQuake API, please acknowledge the data source: 
Data provided by INGV (Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia)
via TerraQuake API
For academic publications, please cite both INGV and TerraQuake API appropriately.

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