Is an API key required?

No! The USGS FDSNWS Event API is completely open and requires zero authentication, making this one of the most accessible and powerful real-time data sources available.

What is the query limit?

The maximum number of events returned per single API query is 20,000. If your time range or boundaries are too wide, the API will fail. Use the `count` tool first on large searches.

How fast is the data updated?

The USGS typically updates its earthquake data within minutes of an event occurring, making it one of the most reliable sources for near real-time seismic alerts.

USGS Earthquakes MCP Server for VS Code Copilot 3 tools — connect in under 2 minutes

Name: USGS Earthquakes
Availability: InStock
Author: Vinkius

code.visualstudio.com/docs/copilot/chat/mcp-servers

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GitHub Copilot in VS Code is the most widely adopted AI coding assistant, embedded directly into the world's most popular code editor. With MCP support in Agent mode, Copilot can access external data and APIs to generate context-aware code grounded in real-time information.

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Classic Setup·json

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

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Stream every event to Splunk, Datadog, or your own webhook in real-time

* Every MCP server runs on Vinkius-managed infrastructure inside AWS - a purpose-built runtime with per-request V8 isolates, Ed25519 signed audit chains, and sub-40ms cold starts optimized for native MCP execution. See our infrastructure

About USGS Earthquakes MCP Server

The USGS Earthquakes MCP Server brings planet-scale telemetry directly to your AI agent. Pulling strictly real-time and historical data from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) API, this tool gives you instant visibility into everything from micro-tremors to catastrophic seismic events globally.

GitHub Copilot Agent mode brings USGS Earthquakes data directly into your VS Code workflow. With a project-scoped config, the entire team shares access to 3 tools — Copilot queries live data, generates typed code, and writes tests from actual API responses, all without leaving the editor.

Core Capabilities

Global Seismic Monitoring — Query real-time data across the planet.
Radial & Bounding Box Search — Focus searches on specific fault lines, continents, or specific radial points like Tokyo or San Francisco.
Magnitude & Time Filters — Zero in on data by slicing through specific date ranges and Richter thresholds.
High-Alert Diagnostics — Detect immediate tsunami warnings and review detailed human-curated significance ratings.

Whether you are building environmental response bots or running historical data analytics on tectonic shifts, this zero-auth integration puts the pulse of the planet in your hands.

The USGS Earthquakes MCP Server exposes 3 tools through the Vinkius. Connect it to VS Code Copilot in under two minutes — no API keys to rotate, no infrastructure to provision, no vendor lock-in. Your configuration, your data, your control.

How to Connect USGS Earthquakes to VS Code Copilot via MCP

Follow these steps to integrate the USGS Earthquakes MCP Server with VS Code Copilot.

Create MCP config

Create a .vscode/mcp.json file in your project root

Add the server config

Paste the JSON configuration above

Enable Agent mode

Open GitHub Copilot Chat and switch to Agent mode using the dropdown

Start using USGS Earthquakes

Ask Copilot: "Using USGS Earthquakes, help me..." — 3 tools available

Why Use VS Code Copilot with the USGS Earthquakes MCP Server

GitHub Copilot for Visual Studio Code provides unique advantages when paired with USGS Earthquakes through the Model Context Protocol.

VS Code is used by over 70% of developers — adding MCP tools to Copilot means your team can leverage external data without leaving their primary editor

Project-scoped MCP configs (`.vscode/mcp.json`) let you commit server configurations to your repository, ensuring the entire team shares the same tool access

Copilot's Agent mode integrates MCP tools seamlessly with file editing, terminal commands, and workspace search in a single agentic loop

GitHub's enterprise compliance and audit features extend to MCP tool usage, providing visibility into how AI interacts with external services

USGS Earthquakes + VS Code Copilot Use Cases

Practical scenarios where VS Code Copilot combined with the USGS Earthquakes MCP Server delivers measurable value.

Live API integration: Copilot can query an MCP server, inspect the response schema, and generate typed API client code in the same step

DevSecOps workflows: security teams can give developers access to domain intelligence tools directly in their editor for real-time vulnerability assessment during code review

Data pipeline development: Copilot fetches sample data via MCP and generates transformation scripts, validators, and test fixtures from actual API responses

Documentation generation: Copilot queries available tools and auto-generates README sections, API reference docs, and usage examples

USGS Earthquakes MCP Tools for VS Code Copilot (3)

These 3 tools become available when you connect USGS Earthquakes to VS Code Copilot via MCP:

count_earthquakes

Get the total count of earthquakes matching specific criteria

get_significant_30_days

No parameters needed. Get highly significant global earthquakes from the last 30 days

query_earthquakes

Use parameters like starttime, endtime, minmagnitude, and geographic boundaries (latitude/longitude/maxradiuskm) to narrow the search. Maximum 20,000 events returned per query. Search for global earthquakes using USGS real-time seismic data

Example Prompts for USGS Earthquakes in VS Code Copilot

Ready-to-use prompts you can give your VS Code Copilot agent to start working with USGS Earthquakes immediately.

"Show me the most significant earthquakes in the world from the last 30 days."

"Count the number of earthquakes above magnitude 2.5 in California in 2023."

"Check if there are any current tsunami warnings globally."

Troubleshooting USGS Earthquakes MCP Server with VS Code Copilot

Common issues when connecting USGS Earthquakes to VS Code Copilot through the Vinkius, and how to resolve them.

MCP tools not available

Ensure you are in Agent mode in Copilot Chat. MCP tools only appear in Agent mode.

USGS Earthquakes + VS Code Copilot FAQ

Common questions about integrating USGS Earthquakes MCP Server with VS Code Copilot.

Which VS Code version supports MCP?

MCP support requires VS Code 1.99 or later with the GitHub Copilot extension. Ensure both are updated to the latest version. Older versions of Copilot may not expose the Agent mode toggle.

How do I switch to Agent mode?

Open the Copilot Chat panel and look for two mode options: "Ask" and "Agent". Click "Agent" to enable autonomous tool calling. In Ask mode, Copilot provides conversational answers but cannot invoke MCP tools.

Can I restrict which MCP tools Copilot can access?

Yes. VS Code shows a tool consent dialog before any MCP tool is invoked for the first time. You can also configure tool access policies at the organization level through GitHub Copilot settings.

Does MCP work in VS Code Remote or Codespaces?

Yes. MCP servers configured via .vscode/mcp.json work in Remote SSH, WSL, and GitHub Codespaces environments. The MCP connection is established from the remote host, so ensure the server URL is accessible from that environment.