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epicenter

File:Epicenter_Diagram.svg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

EntityQ106032· pop 66· linked from 804 articles

Also known as epicentre, epicentrum

thumb|right|The epicenter is directly above the earthquake's [[hypocenter (also called the ).]]

AI overview

The epicenter is the point on Earth's surface directly above where an earthquake starts underground (a location called the hypocenter). It matters because it's typically where an earthquake causes the most damage and is the reference point scientists use to locate and study earthquakes.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

~7 min read

Encyclopedic overview

7 sections
Contents
  • Determination
  • Surface damage
  • Epicentral distance
  • Fault rupture
  • Macroseismic epicenter
  • Etymology
  • References

thumb|right|The epicenter is directly above the earthquake's [[hypocenter (also called the ).]]

The epicenter (), epicentre, or epicentrum in seismology is the point on the Earth's surface directly above a hypocenter or focus, the point where an earthquake or an underground explosion originates.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “epicenter” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

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