Question

What does epicenter mean in the context of earthquakes?

Answer 1

In the context of earthquakes, the epicenter refers to the point on the Earth's surface that is directly above the location where an earthquake originates, which is known as the focus or hypocenter. The epicenter is typically identified using seismic data from multiple monitoring stations, and it is expressed in terms of geographic coordinates (latitude and longitude). This location is significant because it often corresponds to the area that experiences the strongest shaking and, consequently, the most severe damage during an earthquake.