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The epicenter is the point on the Earth's surface directly above the focus, whereas the focus is the actual location beneath the Earth's surface where the earthquake originates. One key difference between the two is their observability.
Earthquakes originate at a point called the focus (plural foci). From this point, energy travels outward in different types of waves. The place on the Earth’s surface directly above the focus is called the epicenter (Figure 13.2).
The epicenter (⫽ ˈ ɛ p ɪ ˌ s ɛ n t ər ⫽), 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.
Learn the meaning and distinction of focus and epicenter in seismology. Focus is the depth where the earthquake originates, while epicenter is the surface point above the focus.
Learn the difference between focus and epicenter of an earthquake, and how seismic waves and seismographs measure and locate them. Find out how seismic waves bend, reflect, and refract as they travel through the Earth's layers.
Focus and Epicenter. The focus, also called a hypocenter of an earthquake, is the point of initial breaking or rupturing where the displacement of rocks occurs. The focus is always at some depth below the ground surface in the crust, and not at the surface. From the focus, the displacement propagates up, down, and laterally along the fault plane.
Epicenter is the location on the surface of the Earth directly above where the earthquake starts. Focus (aka Hypocenter) is the location in the Earth where the earthquake starts.
