Intensity Lab

About Intensity Lab

An independent, API-first ground shaking intensity service for the Western United States and northern Mexico.

What is Intensity Lab?

Intensity Lab provides rapid Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) estimates for earthquakes in California, Nevada, Oregon, and northern Mexico. Data is sourced from USGS ShakeMap and supplemented with NGA-West2 GMPE estimates computed via GEM OpenQuake. Site-specific soil conditions (Vs30) are provided by the SCEC Unified Community Velocity Model (UCVM).

This is an unofficial, independent project — not affiliated with USGS, Caltech, SCEC, GEM, or any other organization whose data or software is used. For authoritative earthquake information, see the Official Sources page.

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Important Disclaimer

Intensity Lab is not an official emergency management or government agency. This site is an independent information resource that aggregates publicly available data from official sources with established seismic hazard processing tools to communicate earthquake hazard and intensity information.

In the event of an earthquake or other emergency:

  • › Obtain official earthquake information from the U.S. Geological Survey
  • › Follow guidance from official emergency management authorities
  • › Monitor official sources such as Ready.gov and your local emergency management agency
  • › For tsunami warnings, refer to the National Tsunami Warning Center
  • › Call 911 for immediate emergencies

While we strive for accuracy, earthquake data may contain errors or delays. Always verify critical information with official sources.

Supporting Development

Intensity Lab is an independent project with ongoing operational and development costs, including cloud infrastructure, seismic data processing, and software development. We welcome support through commercial arrangements and individual contributions.

Commercial use: Organizations that rely on Intensity Lab data for operational purposes are encouraged to contact us about commercial support agreements that help sustain the service.

Contributions and subscriptions: Details on how to contribute to ongoing development and operations will be available soon. If you are interested in supporting this project, please get in touch via the feedback form below.

Contact

Questions, bug reports, data issues, or collaboration inquiries are welcome.

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