⚠ Disclaimer

Important: The data shown on EarthModel is not suitable for safety-critical or life-saving decisions. In case of imminent danger, please contact the responsible national authorities.

1. No Warranty of Data Accuracy

The data displayed on this website (earthquakes, volcanoes, tectonic plates, winds, ocean currents, hotspots and other geoscientific information) is sourced from publicly available third-party providers (USGS, NOAA, Open-Meteo, NASA and others) and displayed without independent verification.

The operator makes no guarantee regarding:

• the accuracy, completeness or timeliness of displayed information
• the availability of the data or website
• possible delays in data transmission or updates
• the correctness of automated classifications (e.g. volcano status, magnitude rating)
• the user's interpretation of the data

2. Technical Limitations

• Server-side caching — data may be up to 5 minutes old
• Outages or maintenance at third-party providers (USGS, NOAA, etc.)
• Only earthquakes above certain magnitudes are reported by USGS — smaller events may be missing
• Volcano status list is manually maintained and may not reflect real-time status
• Ocean currents and jetstream lines are static visualizations of historical flow patterns, not live measurements
• Hotspot positions are based on scientific models and may vary

3. Not for Safety-Critical Decisions

This website is an informational and educational service. It is explicitly NOT suitable for:

• Evacuation decisions
• Shipping, aviation or navigation purposes
• Tsunami or disaster warnings
• Risk assessments for insurance, real estate or investments
• Scientific publications without independent verification of original sources
• Emergency planning or disaster management

For time-critical and safety-relevant information, always consult official sources:

• Earthquakes: earthquake.usgs.gov, EMSC
• Volcanoes: Smithsonian GVP, national volcano observatories
• Tsunami: NOAA Tsunami Warning, national warning services
• Weather: National meteorological services

4. Limitation of Liability

To the extent permitted by law, the operator shall not be liable for:

• direct or indirect damages arising from use or non-use of this website
• decisions made based on the displayed data
• financial, personal or property damages caused by outdated, incorrect or incomplete data
• outages of the website or connected data sources
• consequences of misinterpretation of displayed information

This limitation does not apply in cases of intent or gross negligence, nor for damages to life, body or health.

5. No Professional Advice

The content of this website does not constitute scientific, technical or professional advice. It does not replace consultation with experts (geologists, seismologists, meteorologists) or official government bodies.

6. Third-Party Rights

The data used is subject to the licenses of its respective owners (see Imprint → "Data Sources & Credits").

7. Acceptance Through Use

By using this website, you agree to this disclaimer. If you do not agree to these terms, please discontinue use.

Last updated: April 2026

Imprint

This website is operated by a private individual from Germany. As required by German law (§ 5 DDG / § 18 MStV), the following contact information is provided:

Operator

[FIRST LAST NAME]
[STREET NUMBER]
[POSTAL CODE CITY]
Germany

Contact

E-mail: contact@earthmodel.app

Responsible for Content

[FIRST LAST NAME], address as above.

EU Dispute Resolution

The European Commission provides a platform for online dispute resolution (ODR): https://ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr/.

Consumer Dispute Resolution

We are neither willing nor obliged to participate in dispute resolution proceedings before a consumer arbitration board.

Liability for Content

As a service provider, we are responsible for our own content on these pages pursuant to § 7 para. 1 DDG under general laws. According to §§ 8 to 10 DDG, however, we are not obligated to monitor transmitted or stored third-party information.

The data displayed on this website (earthquakes, volcanoes, plate boundaries, winds, etc.) is sourced from public scientific providers and made available without warranty. It is not suitable for safety-critical decisions.

Liability for Links

Our service contains links to external websites of third parties, whose content we have no influence over. Therefore, we cannot assume any liability for this external content.

Copyright

Content created by the site operator on these pages is subject to German copyright law. Downloads and copies of this site are only permitted for private, non-commercial use.

Data Sources & Credits

• Earthquake data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Earthquake Hazards Program — Public Domain
• Plate boundaries: Peter Bird (2003), via fraxen/tectonicplates (CC-BY)
• Volcano locations: NOAA NCEI Global Volcano Locations Database — U.S. Government Work
• Wind/weather data: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0)
• Satellite imagery: NASA Blue Marble — Public Domain
• 3D engine: Three.js & Globe.gl — MIT License

Privacy Policy

1. Overview

This policy explains what happens to your personal data when you visit this website. Personal data is any information that can identify you personally.

2. Controller

The controller responsible for data processing on this website is:
[FIRST LAST NAME]
[STREET NUMBER]
[POSTAL CODE CITY]
E-mail: privacy@earthmodel.app

3. Hosting

We host this website with IONOS SE, Elgendorfer Str. 57, 56410 Montabaur, Germany. The hosting provider automatically collects server log files on every access (IP address, date, time, accessed file). This data is technically necessary to provide the service (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR). A data processing agreement (DPA) is in place with IONOS.

4. Local Storage (Cookies)

We use technically necessary local storage (sessionStorage) to remember your cookie consent. This storage is technically required (§ 25(2)(2) TTDSG) and does not require consent.

Non-essential cookies (e.g. for advertising) are only set after your explicit consent via our cookie banner pursuant to § 25(1) TTDSG and Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR.

5. Server Log Files

The hosting provider automatically collects:

• Browser type and version
• Operating system
• Referrer URL
• Host name of the accessing computer
• Time of server request
• IP address (anonymized)

Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR (legitimate interest in error-free presentation).

6. External Services

Own Backend (earthmodel.app)

We operate an own backend on our server that caches most live data (proxy cache). This way, your requests are primarily processed on our IONOS server rather than being forwarded directly to external providers.

USGS Earthquake API (fallback)

If our backend cache is unavailable, your browser fetches earthquake data directly from the U.S. Geological Survey (earthquake.usgs.gov). Your IP address is transmitted to USGS servers in the USA. Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. The USA is a third country; safeguards exist via the EU-US Data Privacy Framework.

Open-Meteo (wind data)

For wind display we use the Open-Meteo API (Zürich, Switzerland). This is a GDPR-compliant service without cookies. Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. More: open-meteo.com/en/terms.

CDN Services (jsDelivr, unpkg, Cloudflare)

We load JavaScript libraries (Three.js, Globe.gl) from content delivery networks. Your IP address is transmitted to the respective CDN. Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR.

7. Advertising (only with consent)

If enabled: This website uses Google AdSense (Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland) to display advertisements. Google AdSense uses cookies and web beacons to collect data about visitors.

The information generated (including your IP address) is transmitted to Google servers in the USA and stored there. Google may use this data to evaluate ads, create reports, and display personalized ads.

Use only takes place after your consent pursuant to Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR and § 25(1) TTDSG, which you can grant or revoke via our cookie banner. More: policies.google.com/privacy.

8. Your Rights

• Right of access (Art. 15 GDPR)
• Right to rectification (Art. 16 GDPR)
• Right to erasure (Art. 17 GDPR)
• Right to restriction (Art. 18 GDPR)
• Right to data portability (Art. 20 GDPR)
• Right to object (Art. 21 GDPR)
• Right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority (Art. 77 GDPR)

9. Revocation of Consent

You can revoke any consent given at any time, e.g. via the cookie button in the footer.

Last updated: April 2026

About EarthModel

EarthModel is an interactive 3D visualization of Earth with real-time geodata. The platform combines geological, seismic and oceanographic information in a single user-friendly view.

What's shown?

• Earthquakes (Live): All worldwide seismic events of the past 24 hours, color-coded by magnitude. Updated every 5 minutes directly from USGS.
• Tectonic Plates: The 15 major plates and microplates based on the PB2002 model.
• Active Volcanoes: Over 40 active volcanoes worldwide with status classification (ERUPTING / ELEVATED / ACTIVE).
• Mantle Hotspots: Known mantle plumes like Hawaii, Yellowstone, Iceland, Afar.
• Ocean Currents: Major surface currents (Gulf Stream, Kuroshio, Antarctic Circumpolar).
• Winds (Live): Current wind vectors at 10 m altitude from the Open-Meteo API.
• Jetstreams: Major atmospheric high-altitude flows.
• Rift Zones & Ocean Trenches: Divergent and convergent plate boundaries in detail.

Audience

Teachers, students, scientists, journalists, and anyone curious about our dynamic Earth.

Not an Official Warning Source

EarthModel serves information and education. It is not an official warning source in case of emergency. For acute warnings, please consult the responsible national authorities or USGS directly.