Live Earthquake Data in Google Sheets
Formula
Track global quakes from a cell. =VERVE("earthquake") returns 24-hour counts and the largest magnitude, auto-refreshing — Sheets or Excel.
=VERVE("earthquake")=VERVE.CALL("earthquake")What lands in your sheet
With no "field" pair the formula spills the whole response as two columns — field name on the left, value on the right — starting at the cell you typed in. Make sure the cells below and to the right are empty.
Pulling one value
Add a "field" pair to get a single cell back instead of a table. The field name is the dot-path from the table below.
=VERVE("earthquake", "field", "earthquakes_LastUpdated")=VERVE.CALL("earthquake", "field", "earthquakes_LastUpdated")Available fields
#PREMIUM(field) rather than a value, so a locked field never looks like a real answer.| Use as "field" | Type | Example cell value | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
earthquakes_LastUpdated | string | 2026-02-18T12:00:00.000Z | |
earthquakes_LastHour | number | 9 | |
count24h | number | 187 | Total earthquake count in the past 24 hours |
largestMagnitude24h | number | 5.2 | Largest earthquake magnitude in the past 24 hours |
avgMagnitude24hPremium | number | 1.84 | Average earthquake magnitude in the past 24 hours |
earthquakes | array[2] | list of rows | |
earthquakes.0.mag | number | 3.4 | |
earthquakes.0.place | string | 153 km SSW of Channel Islands Beach, California | |
earthquakes.0.time | number | 1765921110756 | |
earthquakes.0.felt | number | 1 | |
earthquakes.0.cdi | number | 2.2 | |
earthquakes.0.mmi | number | 2.538 | |
earthquakes.0.status | string | reviewed | |
earthquakes.0.tsunami | number | 0 | |
earthquakes.0.sig | number | 178 | |
earthquakes.0.net | string | us | |
earthquakes.0.types | string | ,dyfi,nearby-cities,origin,phase-data,scitech-link,shakemap, | |
earthquakes.0.nst | number | 36 | |
earthquakes.0.dmin | number | 0.479 | |
earthquakes.0.rms | number | 0.65 | |
earthquakes.0.gap | number | 247 | |
earthquakes.0.magType | string | ml | |
earthquakes.0.type | string | earthquake | |
earthquakes.0.title | string | M 3.4 - 153 km SSW of Channel Islands Beach, California | |
earthquakes.0.coordinates | array | [-119.931,32.9103] |
When a cell doesn't fill
A failed lookup returns readable text starting with #ERR rather than a spreadsheet error, because Excel cannot show a custom message on a real error — you would get a bare #VALUE! with no reason. The trade-off is that IFERROR() won't catch it; test with LEFT(cell, 4) = "#ERR" instead.
| Cell reads | What happened |
|---|---|
#ERR Not connected | No API key saved. Open the side panel and connect your account. |
#ERR Replace <name> with a cell or value | The preview formula was copied as-is. Swap the placeholder for a cell reference. |
#ERR No "x" in earthquake | An option name that this source doesn't take. The message lists the ones it does. |
#ERR No data point "…" | The "field" path isn't in the response. Check the dot-path against the table above. |
#PREMIUM(field) | The field exists but your plan doesn't include it. |
#ERR Out of credits | The month's credits are spent. Usage resets on your billing date. |
Before the formula works
The add-in reads the API key you saved once in the side panel — the key never goes in the formula, so a shared sheet doesn't leak it and a collaborator without access simply sees the last calculated values.
- Install the add-in for Google Sheets or Excel.
- Open the side panel and sign in, or paste a key from your dashboard.
- Type the formula above into any cell.
Other ways to use Live Earthquake Data in Google Sheets
Set up Live Earthquake Data in Google Sheets on VerveSheets, or reach the same source a different way. Your VerveSheets account and credits work on all of them — one key, one balance.
Frequently asked questions
Does Live Earthquake Data in Google Sheets work in both Google Sheets and Excel?
Yes — the same source, the same arguments. Sheets calls it =VERVE("earthquake", …) and Excel calls it =VERVE.CALL("earthquake", …); that function name is the only difference.
Do the cells recalculate on their own?
They recalculate when the sheet does — on edit, on open, or on a manual recalc. Each recalculation is a fresh call and spends credits, so for a large static column it's worth copying the results and pasting them as values.
How many credits does a filled column cost?
1 credit per row looked up, whether you drag the formula or pass a range. The range form is one HTTP call instead of many, but the credit count is the same.
Can I share the sheet without sharing my key?
Yes. The key is stored against your account, not in the file. Collaborators see the values already in the cells; formulas only recalculate for someone who has connected their own account.
Why is a cell showing #ERR instead of an error?
So you can read the reason. Excel can't display a custom message on a real spreadsheet error, so the add-in returns the explanation as text on both platforms instead.