[webservices] events without mags, depending on whether mag range is specified

[Russ Welti]

I am seeing a small, sometimes up to 2%, number of events served up with no mag values.

This in format=text, if that matters.

If I use minmag=0 and maxmag=9 and query
service.iris.washington.edu/fdsnws/event/1/query?format=text&nodata=404&minmag=0&maxmag=9&starttime=2010-01-14&endtime=2010-04-15&orderby=magnitude&limit=2500&maxlat=45.33&minlat=18.65&maxlon=-99.14&minlon=-129.72

...skipping to the last N lines of output:  all is good.
> 2843778|2010-01-26T04:20:27|37.477|-121.79|7.8|NC|NEIC PDE|NEIC PDE-M||MD|2.0|NC|CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
> 2843696|2010-01-24T07:30:35|37.86|-121.799|14.3|NC|NEIC PDE|NEIC PDE-M||MD|2.0|NC|CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
> 2848695|2010-04-11T02:26:49|32.67|-115.887|8.4|PAS|NEIC PDE|NEIC PDE-M||ML|2.0|PAS|CALIF.-BAJA CALIF. BORDER REGION
> 2843273|2010-01-15T12:36:10|37.57|-121.84|12.0|NC|NEIC PDE|NEIC PDE-M||MD|2.0|NC|CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
> 2846259|2010-03-08T06:03:14|33.316|-116.376|7.3|PAS|NEIC PDE|NEIC PDE-M||ML|1.9|PAS|SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
> 2843226|2010-01-14T15:28:55|33.911|-118.471|10.4|PAS|NEIC PDE|NEIC PDE-M||ML|1.9|PAS|SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
> 2848014|2010-04-05T10:02:35|34.031|-117.516|11.4|PAS|NEIC PDE|NEIC PDE-M||ML|1.7|PAS|SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
> 2845037|2010-02-27T08:31:52|33.999|-117.181|9.0|PAS|NEIC PDE|NEIC PDE-M||ML|1.5|PAS|SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA


But if I leave mag out entirely from that query

service.iris.washington.edu/fdsnws/event/1/query?format=text&nodata=404&starttime=2010-01-14&endtime=2010-04-15&orderby=magnitude&limit=2500&maxlat=45.33&minlat=18.65&maxlon=-99.14&minlon=-129.72

last few lines now include 5 "mystery" events:
> 2843226|2010-01-14T15:28:55|33.911|-118.471|10.4|PAS|NEIC PDE|NEIC PDE-M||ML|1.9|PAS|SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
> 2848014|2010-04-05T10:02:35|34.031|-117.516|11.4|PAS|NEIC PDE|NEIC PDE-M||ML|1.7|PAS|SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
> 2845037|2010-02-27T08:31:52|33.999|-117.181|9.0|PAS|NEIC PDE|NEIC PDE-M||ML|1.5|PAS|SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
> 2844574|2010-02-16T09:21:28|34.007|-117.187|8.3|PAS|NEIC PDE|NEIC PDE-M|||||SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
> 2848951|2010-04-14T22:59:01|37.39|-121.78|0.0|NC|NEIC PDE|NEIC PDE-M|||||CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
> 2844821|2010-02-23T05:57:26|38.83|-122.809|1.7|NC|NEIC PDE|NEIC PDE-M|||||NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
> 2844760|2010-02-21T07:57:56|34.785|-118.927|11.8|PAS|NEIC PDE|NEIC PDE-M|||||SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
> 2844489|2010-02-13T23:25:41|33.999|-117.186|8.8|PAS|NEIC PDE|NEIC PDE-M|||||SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

It affects me some, because when in certain tight loops, say drawing or sorting events, if I can assume they will have some valid magnitude I can keep that loop as fast as possible.

Currently I discard them at fetch time.

The workaround is of course to always specify a mag range even if it is 0-10, but I wonder if that is the intended side effect of specifying a range vs. not....

No mag range specified, 2 invalid events:


Specify a range 0-10 and the two bad ones are not served:




Thanks!
Russ

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://www.iris.washington.edu/pipermail/webservices/attachments/20130422/e81f55a4/attachment-0001.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: IRIS Earthquake Browser-18.jpg
Type: image/jpg
Size: 167885 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://www.iris.washington.edu/pipermail/webservices/attachments/20130422/e81f55a4/attachment-0002.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: IRIS Earthquake Browser-19.jpg
Type: image/jpg
Size: 170386 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://www.iris.washington.edu/pipermail/webservices/attachments/20130422/e81f55a4/attachment-0003.jpg>