Exporting Data

Learn how to export earthquake catalogues in various formats for analysis, sharing, and archival.

Overview

The platform supports exporting catalogues in multiple standard formats, each optimized for different use cases:

  • CSV - Spreadsheets and statistical analysis

  • QuakeML 1.2 - Seismological software and standards compliance

  • JSON - Web applications and programming

  • GeoJSON - GIS and mapping applications

  • KML - Google Earth and KML-compatible GIS software

All exports preserve complete event metadata, quality metrics, and source information.

Format Comparison

Export Formats

CSV Export

Format: Comma-separated text file

Use cases:

  • Spreadsheet analysis (Excel, Google Sheets)

  • Statistical software (R, Python pandas)

  • GIS software import

  • Data sharing and archival

Included fields:

  • All standard earthquake parameters

  • Quality metrics

  • Uncertainty values

  • Source information

  • Evaluation metadata

Example:

time,latitude,longitude,depth,magnitude,magnitude_type,quality_grade
2024-01-15T10:30:45Z,-41.5,174.2,25.3,4.5,ML,A
2024-01-15T11:22:10Z,-42.1,173.8,15.7,3.2,ML,B+

QuakeML Export

Format: XML following QuakeML 1.2 BED specification

Use cases:

  • Seismological software (SeisComP, Antelope)

  • Data exchange with other agencies

  • Long-term archival

  • Standards-compliant workflows

Features:

  • Full event parameters

  • Origin and magnitude details

  • Picks and arrivals (if available)

  • Focal mechanisms

  • Quality metrics

  • Evaluation metadata

Example:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<quakeml xmlns="http://quakeml.org/xmlns/bed/1.2">
  <eventParameters>
    <event publicID="quakeml:catalogofcatalogs/event/123">
      <preferredOriginID>quakeml:catalogofcatalogs/origin/123</preferredOriginID>
      <preferredMagnitudeID>quakeml:catalogofcatalogs/magnitude/123</preferredMagnitudeID>
      <type>earthquake</type>
      <origin publicID="quakeml:catalogofcatalogs/origin/123">
        <time><value>2024-01-15T10:30:45Z</value></time>
        <latitude><value>-41.5</value></latitude>
        <longitude><value>174.2</value></longitude>
        <depth><value>25300</value></depth>
      </origin>
    </event>
  </eventParameters>
</quakeml>

JSON Export

Format: JavaScript Object Notation

Use cases:

  • Web applications

  • API integration

  • JavaScript/Node.js processing

  • NoSQL database import

Structure:

{
  "catalogue": {
    "id": "550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000",
    "name": "GeoNet - New Zealand 2024",
    "event_count": 1234
  },
  "events": [
    {
      "time": "2024-01-15T10:30:45Z",
      "latitude": -41.5,
      "longitude": 174.2,
      "depth": 25.3,
      "magnitude": 4.5,
      "magnitude_type": "ML"
    }
  ]
}

GeoJSON Export

Format: GeoJSON FeatureCollection

Use cases:

  • GIS software (QGIS, ArcGIS)

  • Web mapping (Leaflet, Mapbox)

  • Spatial analysis

  • Geographic visualization

Structure:

{
  "type": "FeatureCollection",
  "features": [
    {
      "type": "Feature",
      "geometry": {
        "type": "Point",
        "coordinates": [174.2, -41.5, 25.3]
      },
      "properties": {
        "time": "2024-01-15T10:30:45Z",
        "magnitude": 4.5,
        "magnitude_type": "ML",
        "quality_grade": "A"
      }
    }
  ]
}

Export Process

        flowchart TD
    Start([Start]) --> Select["Select Catalogue"]
    Select --> Filter{"Apply Filters?"}

    Filter -- Yes --> Apply["Apply Filters<br/>(Time, Mag, Region)"]
    Apply --> Format
    Filter -- No --> Format

    Format{"Choose Format"}

    Format --> CSV["CSV<br/>(Analysis)"]
    Format --> QML["QuakeML<br/>(Exchange)"]
    Format --> JSON["JSON<br/>(Web/API)"]
    Format --> Geo["GeoJSON<br/>(GIS/Map)"]

    CSV & QML & JSON & Geo --> Download[Download File]
    Download --> Validate[Validate Data]
    Validate --> End([Done])

Via Web Interface

Step 1: Navigate to Catalogues page

Step 2: Select a catalogue

Step 3: Click the download icon or Export button

Step 4: Choose format:

  • CSV

  • QuakeML

  • JSON

  • GeoJSON

  • KML

Step 5: Download file

Via API

Use the API for programmatic exports. All formats are available through a single GET endpoint with a format query parameter:

CSV Export:

curl -X GET "http://localhost:3000/api/catalogues/{id}/export?format=csv" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" \
  -o catalogue.csv

QuakeML Export:

curl -X GET "http://localhost:3000/api/catalogues/{id}/export?format=quakeml" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" \
  -o catalogue.xml

Other formats: Replace format=csv with format=json, format=geojson, or format=kml.

See Export API for complete API documentation.

Filtered Exports

Export subsets of catalogues:

Step 1: Apply filters on the Analytics or Catalogues page:

  • Magnitude range

  • Depth range

  • Time range

  • Quality grade

  • Geographic bounds

Step 2: Click Export Filtered Data

Step 3: Choose format

Only events matching the filters will be exported.

Tip

Use filtered exports to create specialized catalogues for specific analyses.

Best Practices

Format Selection

Choose the appropriate format:

  • CSV: General analysis, spreadsheets

  • QuakeML: Seismological software, archival

  • JSON: Web applications, APIs

  • GeoJSON: GIS, mapping

Data Validation

After export:

  1. Verify event count matches expected value

  2. Check for missing or null values

  3. Validate coordinate ranges

  4. Confirm magnitude and depth values

Large Catalogues

For catalogues with >10,000 events:

  • Use filtered exports to reduce size

  • Export in batches by time period

  • Consider compression (gzip)

  • Use streaming for very large datasets

Metadata Preservation

Ensure exports include:

  • Source information

  • Quality metrics

  • Uncertainty values

  • Evaluation metadata

  • Processing history

File Naming

Exported files use descriptive names:

{catalogue_name}_{date}.{format}

Examples:
GeoNet_New_Zealand_2024_20240115.csv
Canterbury_Aftershocks_20240115.xml
Merged_Regional_Data_20240115.geojson

Troubleshooting

Export Fails

If export fails:

  • Check catalogue size (very large catalogues may timeout)

  • Try filtered export with smaller subset

  • Verify sufficient disk space

  • Check network connection for API exports

Invalid Data

If exported data has issues:

  • Verify source data quality

  • Check field mappings

  • Review validation errors

  • Re-upload with corrections

Format Compatibility

If software can’t read exported file:

  • Verify format specification compliance

  • Check character encoding (UTF-8)

  • Validate XML/JSON syntax

  • Try alternative format

Next Steps