Query a federated catalog across multiple seismic data centers. Unlike the standard station service which only searches IRIS data, this endpoint queries multiple FDSN data centers simultaneously to find stations and data across the global seismic network. Returns channel metadata and availability information from federated sources including IRIS, ORFEUS, GEOFON, and others. Use this when you need to discover seismic stations worldwide regardless of which data center hosts the data. The response combines station information with data availability, making it ideal for planning multi-network data requests.
Original spec description
Query across multiple data centers for station metadata. Returns combined results from federated data centers.
Usage Tips
- This endpoint queries multiple data centers - responses may be slower than station service
- Supports the same query parameters as the station service (network, station, channel, geographic)
- The format=text option returns a simple table listing data center, network, station, and availability
- Use for comprehensive station discovery spanning international networks
- Each result includes the data center code (e.g., IRIS, ORFEUS) so you know where to request data
- The federated search is ideal for finding data in your region of interest across all available networks