How to Use the USGS Earthquakes MCP in Cursor

Q: What are the parameters required for querying USGS Earthquakes with Cursor?

The queryearthquakes tool accepts several filters, including start time, end time, minimum magnitude, and geographic boundaries. You pass these arguments to give the AI precise instructions.

Q: Does Cursor support querying historical USGSEarthquakes data using the MCP Server?

Yes. By providing both a starttime and an endtime, you can execute queries that pull decades of historical seismic records, letting you model long-term trends in your application.

Write code using live USGS Earthquakes data in Cursor.

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Connect USGS Earthquakes MCP to Cursor

Create your Vinkius account to connect USGS Earthquakes to Cursor and route execution through our secure gateway. The platform manages server hosting, runtime updates, and security layers. Configuration requires no manual server provisioning.

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Setup USGS Earthquakes with Cursor

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Query Global Earthquakes for Code Context

The `query_earthquakes` tool lets you inject real seismic data directly into your codebase. You define parameters like `starttime`, `endtime`, and geographic boundaries, allowing the agent to write code that processes specific event sets. When the AI generates code using this API response, it’s not a mock stub; it contains live context from the USGS network, letting you build applications around real-time data.

Count Earthquakes in Code Logic

Need to know how many events occurred? The `count_earthquakes` tool returns a single metric: the total number of matching earthquakes. You can use this count directly in conditional logic or loop boundaries within your developing script. This capability makes sure your code handles resource allocation based on actual, calculated data volume.

Get Significant Global Earthquakes for Scaffolding

The `get_significant_30_days` tool fetches the most important global earthquake events from the last 30 days. This data can serve as initial scaffolding or test data when you're building out a new feature related to seismic monitoring. It provides immediate, relevant context for your code, helping you structure functions around real-world patterns of activity.

Setup guide

Set up USGS Earthquakes MCP in Cursor

Prerequisites

Cursor installed (macOS, Windows, or Linux)
Active Vinkius subscription with a valid endpoint token

1

Open MCP Settings

Go to Cursor Settings → MCP or open the Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P / Ctrl+Shift+P) and search for "MCP: Add Server".
2

Add the USGS Earthquakes MCP

Cursor will create or open .cursor/mcp.json in your project root. Paste the JSON snippet on the right. Replace [YOUR_TOKEN_HERE] with your endpoint token from cloud.vinkius.com.
3

Enable Agent mode

Open Composer (Cmd+I / Ctrl+I) and switch to Agent mode using the dropdown at the top. MCP tools are only available in Agent mode.
4

Verify the connection

Ask Cursor something like "List my recent USGS Earthquakes transactions." If the MCP tools are loaded correctly, Cursor will call the USGS Earthquakes tools automatically. You can also check Settings → MCP for a green status indicator.

.cursor/mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "usgs-earthquakes-mcp": {
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp"
    }
  }
}

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Common questions about USGS Earthquakes MCP in Cursor

You enable Agent mode in the chat and prompt it to call the relevant tool. For example, asking it to query earthquakes within a specific lat/lon range will result in code that uses the live API response.

The `query_earthquakes` tool accepts several filters, including start time, end time, minimum magnitude, and geographic boundaries. You pass these arguments to give the AI precise instructions.

Yes. The live API responses from the MCP Server are integrated directly into the code the AI generates, meaning your function works with actual seismic measurements and event records.

It provides detailed records on global earthquake events. This includes magnitude values, precise geographic coordinates, and full time stamps for every recorded incident.

Yes. By providing both a `starttime` and an `endtime`, you can execute queries that pull decades of historical seismic records, letting you model long-term trends in your application.

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