What is happening with volcanoes right now? Where did an earthquake occur, and how strong was it? Is there any seismic activity near a specific region?
You can get answers to these questions directly on your smartphone using the Volcanoes & Earthquakes app from VolcanoDiscovery.
This is neither a virtual simulator nor an earthquake predictor. The app collects monitoring data and displays information about actual seismic and volcanic activity to the user.
What the app shows
On the main screen, you can view earthquakes that have occurred in various parts of the world or focus on events near a selected location.
Data on magnitude, depth, location, and time of occurrence are available for earthquakes. The information can be sorted and filtered by magnitude, distance, region, and other parameters.
A separate section is dedicated to volcanoes. A global map displays over 1,600 active and dormant volcanoes, and information on the status, eruption history, and recent events is available for individual sites.
Where the data comes from
One of the app's features is that it does not rely on a single source.
Volcanoes & Earthquakes uses data from more than 40 national and international monitoring organizations. Among the sources, the developers list, for example, the USGS, EMSC, GFZ, INGV, GeoNet, and other agencies.
Therefore, the user receives not just a news report about the earthquake, but structured data on the event itself.
Notifications
The app can send notifications about significant earthquakes and events that meet user-defined parameters.
You can configure the region of interest, distance, or magnitude. There are also notifications related to volcanic activity and tsunamis.
This can be useful not only to specialists. For example, someone might be planning a trip to an area with active volcanoes and want to monitor the changes themselves.
You can see an earthquake near the volcano.
An interesting feature is the display of earthquakes near active volcanoes.
This makes it possible to see the connection between the two types of natural activity on a single map and to better understand why volcanic regions are constantly monitored.
At the same time, the app displays monitoring data rather than asserting that a specific earthquake necessarily indicates an imminent eruption.
This is not just an app for professionals.
The interface is designed with casual users in mind as well. You can simply open the map to see what is happening around the world or customize the app for a specific region.
For science enthusiasts, this is essentially a way to observe the planet in real time: earthquakes, volcanoes, tectonic plates, historical events, and news are all in one place.
On iPhone and iPad, the app is available for free with optional in-app purchases; the Android version is also available on Google Play.
It is important to understand the limitations.
Volcanoes & Earthquakes does not replace official civil protection and emergency alert systems.
The developers explicitly state that the application is intended for general informational purposes and does not guarantee the completeness or continuity of data delivery.
Therefore, in the event of a real threat, one should rely primarily on official warnings from local authorities and specialized agencies.
Discovery right on your smartphone
Volcanoes & Earthquakes is interesting because it transforms complex scientific data into a map that is easy for the average person to understand.
You don’t need to be a volcanologist or a seismologist to open the app and see where earthquakes are currently occurring, which volcanoes are active, and what is happening with the planet at this moment.
This is a good example of how technologies from the world of scientific monitoring are gradually becoming accessible to every user.
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