TerraQuake User Guide
TerraQuake User Guide
Welcome to TerraQuake, your beautiful and powerful window into our dynamic planet. This guide will help you get the most out of the app's features.
The main screen is your dashboard, designed to give you a quick, visual overview of global seismic activity.
3D Globe & 2D Map
At the top of the screen is a switcher that lets you toggle between two views:
3D Globe: A mesmerizing, spinning globe that shows earthquakes in a beautiful 3D space. You can pan, zoom, and rotate it with standard touch gestures.
2D Map: A familiar, detailed map for a flat, top-down perspective.
The Filter Bar
Just below the globe/map is the filter bar. This gives you powerful control over what you see on the main screen.
Magnitude Filter: Choose to see all quakes above a certain magnitude (e.g., M1.0+, M2.5+, or M4.5+).
Time Filter: Limit the view to only show quakes from the last hour, 6 hours, or 24 hours.
The Quake List
The list at the bottom shows details for the earthquakes currently displayed on the globe and map.
Global/Local: Toggle between seeing events from around the world or only those near your current location.
Sort Order: Sort the list by "Most Recent" to see the newest events first, or by "Largest" to see the most powerful ones.
Interacting with the Globe & Map
Tap a Marker: Tap any earthquake marker on the globe or map to zoom in and see a detailed annotation.
See Quake Details: Tap any quake in the list to zoom the view and bring up a detailed information sheet.
Your Location: The pulsating blue pin shows your current location, giving you context for nearby events.
Stop the Spin: Simply tap anywhere on the globe itself to stop the ambient spin, making it easier to select a specific marker.
Reset the View: When you're zoomed in, a Reset Button appears in the bottom right of the globe. Tap it to zoom back out to the global view and restart the spin.
The Explore tab is your data center for more in-depth analysis.
Largest Quakes: This section lets you browse a Full List of quakes (respecting your dashboard filters) or toggle to a ranked "Top 10" list of the most powerful recent earthquakes worldwide.
By Region: See all recent earthquakes grouped by the country or US state where they occurred. Use the "Filter" button in the top right to select specific regions you're interested in.
Tailor the app to your preferences. In the Settings tab, you can:
Set your default start view (3D Globe or 2D Map).
Choose your preferred distance units (Kilometers or Miles).
Define the search radius for your "Local" filter.
Enable and configure notifications for significant quakes.
Q: Why don't I see all the quakes from the Explore list on the Dashboard?
A: The Dashboard is your "at-a-glance" view and is designed to be clean and fast, so it respects the Magnitude and Time filters you've set in the filter bar. The Explore view is a comprehensive browser of all data from the USGS feed.
Q: How often is the data updated?
A: The app fetches the latest data every time you launch it and whenever you perform a "pull-to-refresh" on a list.
Q: Is my location data stored?
A: No. Your location is only used on your device to calculate distances for the "Local" filter. We do not track or store your location history. For more, please see our Privacy Policy.
Need help? Contact us at: support@anderssonconsultingllc.biz