Our planet is constantly shaken by earthquakes. Every 24 hours, more than 2700 earthquakes of varying magnitudes are detected worldwide. In France, there are an average of five per day. Sometimes these are very small tremors, on a scale of 5 or less, at a depth of more than 3 km, but in other cases, they are perfectly perceptible on the surface.
Numerous seismological stations around the world collect data on these earthquakes. And some organizations provide access to this data so that anyone can view or use it.
Earthquake: EMSC's map of earthquakes in the last 24 hours
The EMSC (Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Center) or CSEM (Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Center) is an international association dedicated to the promotion of research in seismology, but above all in the rapid collection and dissemination of information on earthquakes.
In this regard, on its website, it provides the public with a interactive map earthquakes (Earthquake map) on which you can view any earthquake measured over the last 24 hours, or even over the last week.
When arriving at the site, the map is centered on the Mediterranean Sea which is the association's preferred area. The background map displays the reliefs and you can zoom out or move the map to display the area that interests you.
Each colored circle on the map represents an earthquake. The larger the circle, the greater the magnitude of the earthquake. Similarly, the color indicates the "age" of the earthquake; a purple circle indicates that the event occurred within the last hour and the more the color tends towards yellow (passing through red), the older the earthquake.
By clicking on an earthquake, you will be able to view additional information. A tooltip will appear on the map with the precise magnitude, the country of occurrence, the date and time, the depth of the earthquake, etc., as well as a link to a more detailed information sheet on the EMSC website.
By default, the map displays the last 24 hours, but it is possible to select different horizons: last hour, last 24 hours, last 48 hours.
A list of recent earthquakes
If you want to go beyond the interactive map, the site also hasa page displaying all chronologically the last earthquakes felt worldwide, almost in real time or at least as soon as they are published.
This page also allows you to search by filtering on period, magnitude, depth, region, etc.
Data partly crowdsourced for greater responsiveness
System LastQuake, developed by CSEM, allows for the rapid detection of felt earthquakes thanks to an innovative approach combining crowdsourcing and scientific data.
When a shock is perceived, a sudden influx of users on the EMSC platforms (website, app, X) acts as a warning signal. This data from the public is then cross-referenced with official seismic information provided by specialized institutes, allowing the event to be confirmed and reliable, rapid and accessible information to be disseminated.
In short, this interactive map is a free and very effective tool that should allow you to obtain lots of information on earthquakes almost in real time or at least, as soon as the data is published!
