Everything about QGIS
In the QGIS Earthquakes course, you will learn how to analyze and visualize earthquake data in QGIS. You will work with commonly used plugins such as USGS Earthquakes, Earthquake Catalogue Viewer, and MMQGIS to collect and analyze current and historical seismic data. The focus is on creating informative maps and analyses for monitoring and risk assessment. All of this is done entirely within QGIS, without any programming.
Would you like to learn how to analyze and visualize earthquakes using geographic data, without having to program? In the QGIS Earthquakes course, you’ll learn how to use QGIS independently to collect, analyze, and visualize seismic data from various sources. You’ll discover how to examine earthquakes spatially and temporally for analysis, monitoring, and risk assessment.
QGIS is a powerful open-source GIS platform for analyzing and visualizing geographic data. In this course, you’ll build on your QGIS fundamentals and learn to work with commonly used plugins for earthquake data, such as USGS Earthquakes, Earthquake Catalogue Viewer, and MMQGIS. You’ll learn how to retrieve current and historical earthquake data, filter it, and convert it into usable GIS layers.
Earthquake analysis in QGIS goes beyond simply plotting points on a map. You’ll learn how to analyze earthquakes based on magnitude, depth, and time, how to recognize patterns and trends, and how to relate seismic activity to geological or administrative contexts. This allows you to combine data analysis with cartographic visualization for a better understanding of seismic processes.
In QGIS Earthquakes, you’ll integrate seismic data directly into your daily GIS workflow. Whether you’re working on risk analysis, education, research, spatial planning, or communication—this course shows you how to use earthquake data practically and effectively within QGIS, without writing a single line of code.
You’ll work with open-source software, follow a hands-on approach, and develop skills that are immediately applicable in real-world GIS scenarios. Technically substantive, yet clearly explained and focused on both understanding and application.
Please note! Prior knowledge of QGIS is required for this course. To prepare, take our QGIS Basic Training.
In this course, you’ll learn step by step how to use and analyze earthquake data in QGIS. You’ll start with the basics: what seismic data is, what data sources are available, and how earthquake catalogs are structured.
Next, you’ll get hands-on experience with:
Through clear explanations and practical exercises, you will learn how to correctly interpret seismic data and apply it in analysis and communication.
This course is unique because it makes seismic analysis accessible to GIS users. While earthquake analysis is often associated with specialized software, this course demonstrates that you can work productively right away using QGIS and plugins.
You will learn, among other things:
The course is designed for practical, self-directed learning, using open-source tools and with a strong focus on practical application.
This course is intended for GIS users interested in seismic data and earthquake analysis. Do you work in education, research, the environment, infrastructure, spatial planning, risk assessment, or cartography? Then this course offers immediate value. You don’t need experience in geophysics or programming, but you do need a basic understanding of QGIS. Have you already worked with geographic data and do you want to better understand and visualize earthquakes? Then QGIS Earthquakes is a logical next step to gain deeper insights into seismic activity using GIS.
The first day focuses on working with seismic data in QGIS. You’ll learn what earthquake data is, what data sources are available, and how earthquake catalogs are structured. Using plugins such as USGS Earthquakes, Earthquake Catalogue Viewer, and MMQGIS, you’ll retrieve current and historical earthquake data and learn how to filter it by time, location, magnitude, and depth. The day concludes with the creation of overview maps and initial analyses of seismic patterns.
On day two, the focus is on delving deeper into and interpreting earthquake analyses. You’ll combine seismic data with other GIS layers, such as fault lines, geology, or population data, and learn how to identify patterns and trends in earthquake activity. You’ll also work on thematic maps and visualizations for risk analysis, education, and communication. By the end of the day, you’ll be able to independently analyze and present earthquake data within a coherent GIS workflow.
You will then learn how to integrate AI-generated segments into existing QGIS workflows. You will work with vector and raster layers, perform simple spatial analyses, and learn how segmentations can serve as a basis for further analyses such as land use, object inventory, or cartographic visualization.
In the afternoon, the focus is on practical cases. You will apply image segmentation to various types of images and use cases, such as delineating buildings, water bodies, or landscape elements. There will be a strong emphasis on interpretation: when is a segmentation “good enough,” and how do you responsibly use AI results within GIS projects? The course concludes with best practices, pitfalls, and guidelines regarding segmentation.
Do you have questions about the course content? Or are you unsure whether the course aligns with your learning goals or preferences? Would you prefer an in-house or private course? We’d be happy to help.
No, the course is designed entirely for working within QGIS using existing plugins and analysis tools. All steps—from data retrieval to analysis and visualization—are performed via the graphical interface. No programming knowledge or experience with geophysical software is required.
A basic understanding of QGIS is sufficient, such as working with vector layers, attributes, and simple map layout. Knowledge of seismology is not required; the course also covers the basics of earthquake data and interpretation. The focus is on understanding and applying these concepts within a GIS context.
Yes, the course explicitly addresses the relationship between climate change and seismic activity. Although climate change is not a direct cause of tectonic earthquakes, recent studies show that processes such as glacier melt, sea-level change, and changes in water load can locally influence stresses in the Earth’s crust. In this course, you will learn how to spatially analyze and critically interpret such hypotheses and patterns using GIS data.
The knowledge gained can be applied in education, research, risk analysis, spatial planning, and communication. You can use earthquake data to identify seismic patterns, support scenarios, and analyze changes over time. Especially in the context of climate change, where interest in natural hazards is growing, this course provides tools for using earthquake data in a responsible and well-founded manner.
