IRIS Earthquake Browser URL Builder: Examples and Shareable URLsThe IRIS (Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology) Earthquake Browser is a powerful web tool for visualizing seismic events, waveforms, and station data on an interactive map. The Earthquake Browser’s URL Builder lets you create links that open the browser with predefined map views, search parameters, and display options — making it easy to save, reproduce, and share specific searches or visualizations with colleagues, students, or the public. This article explains how the URL Builder works, gives practical examples, and shows how to construct shareable URLs for common use cases.
How the URL Builder Works
The Earthquake Browser accepts query parameters in the URL that set the map center, zoom level, time window, magnitude range, depth range, and other visualization settings. When you open a URL containing these parameters, the browser parses them and displays the corresponding set of earthquakes and stations, along with any requested overlays or tools.
Key benefits:
- Reproducibility: exactly reproduce a visualization or search.
- Collaboration: share specific event selections or study areas.
- Education & outreach: generate links for teaching materials or reports.
- Automation: programmatically generate links from scripts or dashboards.
Common URL Parameters
While exact parameter names can vary with interface versions, typical parameters include:
- starttime / endtime — time window for events (ISO 8601 or YYYY-MM-DD format).
- minmagnitude / maxmagnitude — magnitude filter.
- mindepth / maxdepth — depth filter (km).
- lat / lon — map center (latitude, longitude).
- zoom — map zoom level.
- catalog / eventsource — which catalog or data source to use.
- format / overlay — display options for events, stations, or layers.
- eventid — open details for a specific event.
Always URL-encode values (spaces → %20, + → %2B, etc.). If a parameter expects ISO 8601 datetimes, include timezone or use UTC (Z suffix).
Example 1 — Share a Recent Regional List of Events
Goal: Share all events in the last 7 days in southern California, magnitude ≥ 2.5, centered on Los Angeles.
Example URL pattern: https://earthquake-browser.iris.edu/?starttime=2025-08-26T00:00:00Z&endtime=2025-09-02T00:00:00Z&minmagnitude=2.5&lat=34.05&lon=-118.25&zoom=7
Notes:
- Replace starttime/endtime with a relative or scripted date range if generating links automatically.
- Zoom controls map scale; higher numbers zoom in.
Example 2 — Link Directly to a Single Event
Goal: Share the page for a specific earthquake so others can see its location, origin details, and waveforms.
General approach:
- Find the event’s unique ID in IRIS (or USGS/other catalog).
- Use the eventid parameter: ?eventid=us7000xxxxx (example format).
Example URL pattern: https://earthquake-browser.iris.edu/?eventid=us7000abcd123
Notes:
- Event-specific URLs often open panels with origin time, magnitude, depth, and links to waveform viewers and station picks.
Example 3 — Preloaded Waveform View for a Station
Goal: Create a link that opens the map centered on a station and shows recent waveform data.
Typical parameters:
- station — station code or network.station code.
- starttime/endtime — waveform time window.
- format=waveform or overlay=waveform.
Example URL pattern: https://earthquake-browser.iris.edu/?station=CI.BBS&starttime=2025-09-02T00:00:00Z&endtime=2025-09-02T01:00:00Z&overlay=waveform&lat=34.2&lon=-116.8&zoom=9
Notes:
- Some viewers require additional parameters for channel (e.g., BHZ) or sampling options.
Example 4 — Custom Magnitude and Depth Layers for Research
Goal: Share a map showing only shallow (0–10 km), moderate earthquakes (M 4.0–6.0) worldwide for a given month.
Example URL pattern: https://earthquake-browser.iris.edu/?starttime=2025-08-01T00:00:00Z&endtime=2025-08-31T23:59:59Z&minmagnitude=4.0&maxmagnitude=6.0&mindepth=0&maxdepth=10&zoom=2&lat=0&lon=0
Notes:
- Low zoom centers on the globe; adjust lat/lon to focus on a hemisphere or region.
Example 5 — Create a URL for Teaching: Sequence Over Time
Goal: Provide a link that teachers can use to show a sequence (aftershocks) near an event’s epicenter across a week.
Combine:
- eventid for the mainshock (so map can center).
- starttime/endtime covering the week after the mainshock.
- minmagnitude to avoid noise.
Example URL pattern: https://earthquake-browser.iris.edu/?eventid=us7000abcd123&starttime=2025-08-25T00:00:00Z&endtime=2025-09-01T00:00:00Z&minmagnitude=2.0&zoom=8
Tips for Robust, Shareable URLs
- Use UTC in start/end times to avoid timezone confusion. Example: 2025-09-02T00:00:00Z.
- Shorten long parameter lists by centering and zooming to sensible defaults and using concise filters.
- If you expect recipients to open links on mobile, test the zoom level and panel sizes — mobile layouts sometimes hide panels or collapse controls.
- For dynamic dashboards, generate links server-side with the current timestamp or relative date logic (e.g., starttime=now-7d).
- Use a URL shortener only if needed for character limits, but be aware shortened links obscure parameters (useful for sharing but less transparent for reproducibility).
- If the Earthquake Browser offers a built-in “share” or “copy link” button, prefer it — it will guarantee correct, version-compatible parameter encoding.
Troubleshooting
- If a URL opens but shows no events: widen the time window, lower the minmagnitude, or check that lat/lon and zoom are appropriate.
- If the browser ignores a parameter, the site may have updated parameter names; use the site’s share tool or check developer documentation.
- If waveform overlays fail to load, verify station names, channel names, and the time window match available data.
Automation examples (short)
-
In Python, format ISO times and f-string the URL:
from datetime import datetime, timedelta end = datetime.utcnow() start = end - timedelta(days=7) url = f"https://earthquake-browser.iris.edu/?starttime={start.isoformat()}Z&endtime={end.isoformat()}Z&minmagnitude=2.5&lat=34.05&lon=-118.25&zoom=7" -
In Bash:
start=$(date -u -d '7 days ago' +%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ) end=$(date -u +%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ) echo "https://earthquake-browser.iris.edu/?starttime=${start}&endtime=${end}&minmagnitude=2.5&lat=34.05&lon=-118.25&zoom=7"
Final notes
The IRIS Earthquake Browser URL Builder is a simple but effective way to make seismic data accessible and reproducible. By understanding and combining parameters for time, magnitude, depth, location, and overlays, you can craft links that precisely present the seismic story you want to tell — whether for research, teaching, public outreach, or field coordination.
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