Global Disaster Data Explorer
Explore recent events, retained snapshots and reference layers on a 3D globe. Every layer exposes its source and freshness in the app.
Open Disaster MapEarthquakes
Recent USGS and EMSC seismic events with magnitude, depth, location and a link back to the provider record.
Volcanoes
A mixed event and reference layer assembled from NASA EONET, NOAA NCEI and Smithsonian material. Reference entries are labelled and are not eruption alerts.
Hurricanes & Storms
Published tropical-cyclone events and available track context from named NOAA, NASA and GDACS feeds. Coverage varies by basin.
Tsunamis
Published NOAA tsunami event or bulletin context. Always use the linked warning centre for current official guidance.
Wildfires
NASA FIRMS satellite thermal detections and NASA EONET event context. Clouds, revisit intervals and false positives limit coverage.
Additional Risk Layers
Floods, drought, air quality, space weather, near-Earth objects and curated outbreak reports use different cadences and data classifications.
Disaster Types We Track
Earthquakes
Recent provider-reported events. Magnitude, depth, location and felt-report details appear when supplied; smaller earthquakes may be absent depending on monitoring coverage and source thresholds.
Volcanoes
Open events plus recent and historically active reference records. The layer does not claim a reference volcano is currently erupting.
Tropical Storms
Named cyclone events with the fields available in each source. Track and intensity detail depends on the provider and active basin.
Tsunamis
Event and bulletin context from NOAA. PocketWorld does not replace warning-centre instructions or local evacuation guidance.
Wildfires
Satellite-detected thermal hotspots indicating active fires. Updated multiple times daily with fire radiative power data.
Floods & Drought
Open event records and alerts where supplied. Coverage and severity fields vary; an empty region does not prove there is no hazard.
Learn to read the observations
Magnitude and local shaking
Understand why an earthquake's magnitude does not describe the shaking at every location, and why preliminary estimates change.
Satellite fire detections
Learn what a MODIS or VIIRS hotspot represents, why detections can be missing and why points are not fire perimeters.
Regional map-reading guides
United States · wildfires
Separate satellite heat detections from reported incidents and official fire perimeters.
Canada · wildfires
Compare hotspots, agency-reported active fires and fire-weather conditions.
Australia · bushfires
Understand how fire-danger ratings differ from incident warnings and satellite observations.
United Kingdom · floods
Find the right warning service and distinguish local warnings from global event reports.
Europe · wildfires
Compare EFFIS fire-danger, active-fire and burned-area products with satellite hotspots.
United States · hurricanes
Learn why the NHC forecast cone is not the complete area of wind, rain or surge risk.
Europe · earthquakes
Compare EMSC event parameters, national-network estimates and felt reports.
United States · floods
Separate NWS warnings, river-gauge readings and global event reports.
Canada · earthquakes
Understand Natural Resources Canada records and preliminary event revisions.
Australia · cyclones
Read BoM track forecasts, watch zones and warnings without mistaking the centre path for all impacts.
Europe · floods
Compare EFAS outlooks, national warnings and global event observations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does the disaster data come from?
Each layer names its provider. Active feeds include USGS and EMSC earthquakes, NASA EONET and FIRMS, GDACS, NOAA products and other documented sources. Some volcano entries are retained reference records rather than current alerts.
How often is the data updated?
Cadence differs by provider and layer. The app displays source freshness and may serve a retained snapshot when an upstream provider is unavailable.
Can I receive official disaster alerts?
No. PocketWorld is an informational explorer, not an emergency warning service. Follow the linked provider and your local emergency authority for safety decisions.
How accurate is the disaster data?
Accuracy, coverage and revision policy depend on each provider. Preliminary events may change, modelled layers are not observations, and reference records do not prove an event is active.