ph-civic-data-mcp

Overview Schema Source Related Servers Discussions Admin

USGS earthquakes near the Philippines

get_usgs_earthquakes_ph

Read-onlyIdempotent

Retrieve Philippine earthquake data from USGS with PHIVOLCS cross-reference. Filter by date, magnitude, or location to get event details and distances.

Instructions

Philippine-region earthquakes from USGS, cross-reference to PHIVOLCS.

Returns events inside the PH bounding box (lat 4..22, lng 115..130) that USGS catalogs, including international-standard Mww/Mwc magnitudes and depth solutions. Complements PHIVOLCS with global-network analysis. Give center_lat, center_lon, and radius_km together to filter to one place, and each matched event then carries a distance_km field. Give all three together, or leave out all three. Examples:

get_usgs_earthquakes_ph() last 30 days, magnitude 4.0+ get_usgs_earthquakes_ph(start_date="2026-08-01", end_date="2026-08-31") get_usgs_earthquakes_ph(center_lat=14.5995, center_lon=120.9842, radius_km=50) near Manila

On failure: an invalid trio, an out-of-range radius_km, center_lat, or center_lon gives validation_error true and data_status "invalid_request". The same happens for a start_date or end_date that is not YYYY-MM-DD. An unreachable USGS API, or a payload that is not a GeoJSON FeatureCollection, gives upstream_error true and data_status "unavailable". A nonempty features list where every feature fails to parse gives upstream_error true and data_status "indeterminate", and is never cached. All three return results: [] with the real error in caveats.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description
`limit`	No	Max events to return (default 50, USGS hard-caps at 20000).
`end_date`	No	ISO date (YYYY-MM-DD). Defaults to today.
`radius_km`	No	Keep only events within this distance of (center_lat, center_lon). Give all three of center_lat, center_lon, and radius_km together, or none of them. Each returned event then carries a distance_km field.
`center_lat`	No	Latitude of a search point. Give with center_lon and radius_km to filter to events near one place instead of the whole PH bbox.
`center_lon`	No	Longitude of a search point. Give with center_lat and radius_km.
`start_date`	No	ISO date (YYYY-MM-DD). Defaults to 30 days ago.
`min_magnitude`	No	Minimum magnitude (default 4.0 to keep noise low).

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`result`	Yes

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed3 schema fields changedv0.8.0Sep 7, 2026

addedInput schema / properties / center_lat

Added value: +{
+  "anyOf": [
+    {
+      "type": "number"
+    },
+    {
+      "type": "null"
+    }
+  ],
+  "default": null,
+  "description": "Latitude of a search point. Give with center_lon and\n        radius_km to filter to events near one place instead of\n        the whole PH bbox."
+}

addedInput schema / properties / center_lon

Added value: +{
+  "anyOf": [
+    {
+      "type": "number"
+    },
+    {
+      "type": "null"
+    }
+  ],
+  "default": null,
+  "description": "Longitude of a search point. Give with center_lat and\n        radius_km."
+}

addedInput schema / properties / radius_km

Added value: +{
+  "anyOf": [
+    {
+      "type": "number"
+    },
+    {
+      "type": "null"
+    }
+  ],
+  "default": null,
+  "description": "Keep only events within this distance of\n       (center_lat, center_lon). Give all three of center_lat,\n       center_lon, and radius_km together, or none of them. Each\n       returned event then carries a distance_km field."
+}

Changed3 schema fields changedv0.5.0Jun 17, 2026

addedOutput schema / properties / result / anyOf

Added value: +[
+  {
+    "items": {
+      "additionalProperties": true,
+      "type": "object"
+    },
+    "type": "array"
+  },
+  {
+    "additionalProperties": true,
+    "type": "object"
+  }
+]

removedOutput schema / properties / result / items

Removed value: -{
-  "additionalProperties": true,
-  "type": "object"
-}

removedOutput schema / properties / result / type
```
Removed value: -"array"
```

Addedv0.4.0May 22, 2026

TDQS

A4.8/5.0

Behavior5/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

The description openly discloses network dependency on the USGS API, validation failure modes, upstream failure modes, and caching behavior. It aligns with the readOnlyHint, idempotentHint, and destructiveHint annotations, and there is no contradiction between the described behavior and the annotations.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness4/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

The description is longer than average but well structured and information-dense, with examples and failure cases. Very little is redundant; the only minor inefficiency is repeating the 'give all three together' rule in both the parameter section and the main description.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness4/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

The description covers invocation, parameter constraints, expected output markers, and error states, which together provide sufficient context for correct use. It does not detail the full success output schema, but the output schema is indicated as available and the result fields are not necessary for invoking the tool correctly.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters5/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

The schema already covers all parameters, and the description adds useful semantic detail: limit caps, default magnitudes, date format expectations, the center/radius grouping rule, and the resulting distance_km field. This goes well beyond the schema descriptions and fully clarifies how parameters interact.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description clearly identifies the tool as retrieving Philippine-region earthquake data from USGS and explicitly contrasts it with PHIVOLCS-oriented offerings. It states the geographic scope, the source, and the distinctive value (international-standard magnitudes, global-network analysis), so an agent can distinguish it from sibling earthquake tools.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines5/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

The description provides concrete usage examples, default behaviors, and explicit constraints such as 'give all three of center_lat, center_lon, and radius_km together, or none of them.' It also enumerates failure scenarios and what the caller should expect in response, making invocation behavior predictable.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

Deploy Server