Google is adding recent earthquake data to search results

Google is making it easier to find out useful information in the event of an earthquake. Searching for terms like “earthquake” or “earthquakes near me” will show a card with data like the magnitude and epicenter of the relevant quake, as well as other recent tremors to put it into context.

This mapping information will be particularly useful for finding out whether a seemingly minor earthquake was actually a major one further away; it’ll show how strong the quake was in various areas. Google will also display tips for how best to stay safe in the earthquake’s aftermath.

Living in Japan, earthquakes are a pretty frequent occurrence for me, and the first thing I usually do after feeling one is check Twitter to see other people’s real-time reactions and make sure it’s not too serious. If this Google feature works well, however, it could be a more reliable and easily parseable way to get the most important information fast.