Data reference · version 1.3
Know exactly what the data means.
This reference defines DisasterSignal's current coverage, classifications, freshness states, public machine endpoints and attribution rules. It describes the released product, not a future roadmap.
Last reviewed · 07 Sep 2026
How are views and states defined?
| Label | Definition | What it does not mean |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | Current USGS significant-earthquake records plus screened and human-approved GDACS hotspots. | A complete worldwide earthquake or disaster list. |
| Major | Magnitude 5.5 or greater within the current public USGS records. | An official severity, damage or response category. |
| Hotspot | A recent, editorially prioritized GDACS flood or landslide discovery explicitly approved for visibility. | Independent confirmation, an impact assessment or an official warning. |
| Current | Last valid source fetch is inside its freshness window. | Confirmation that conditions on the ground are safe. |
| Delayed / stale | Last valid fetch exceeded a source-specific threshold. | Proof that the upstream event itself changed. |
What enters human review?
Only orange or red GDACS flood and landslide discoveries updated within seven days are considered. Red records qualify directly. Orange records must have a source update within 72 hours and also be newly occurred within seven days, a landslide-type fast-moving hazard, or cross-border/multi-region. At most three highest-scoring unseen material revisions are sent in one review run. A changed fetch time or source-update timestamp alone never creates a new review.
What are the freshness thresholds?
USGS becomes delayed after five minutes without a completed valid fetch and stale after fifteen minutes. GDACS becomes delayed after thirty minutes and stale after two hours.