Hypocenter Hypocenter

Hypocenter - Definition and Overview

The hypocenter or hypocentre (literally: 'below the center' from the Greek υπόκεντρον), also known as the focus, is the point inside the Earth where an earthquake originates. It is directly below the epicenter at a depth known as the focal depth.

The term hypocenter also refers to the point on the surface of the earth directly below the air burst of a nuclear detonation. The term "ground zero" is synonymous with hypocenter (referring to bomb detonations, not to earthquakes).

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