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The difference between the epicentre and the focus of earthquakes is this:

The focus of the earthquake is where the actual earthquake occurred and the epicentre is on the ground directly above the focus. The epicentre is used to say where the earthquake was in relation to places near where it occurred.

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Dulce Hickle

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2y ago
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13y ago

The difference between the epicentre and the focus of earthquakes is this:

The focus of the earthquake is where the actual earthquake occurred and the epicentre is on the ground directly above the focus. The epicentre is used to say where the earthquake was in relation to places near where it occurred.

Hope this helped :)

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12y ago

There is a lot of terminology that can confuse geographic enthusiast. Focus, Hypocenter, Epicenter? What does that exactly mean? When we spoke about seismic waves we mentioned that they originate from different areas. The point of which the wave originates is what we call the Earthquake focus (foci plural). It is also known as the Hypocenter. These foci of natural earthquakes are found at different depths below the ground surface. There are three levels, Shallow at 10-100 km below, Intermediate 70-300 km and Deep foci at 300 km or below.

Shallow earthquakes create the most damage and 3/4 of total energy released of earthquakes in the world. They unlike intermediate and deep focus earthquakes, shallow earthquakes occur at all type of plate boundaries like ocean trenches, subduction zones, etc.

So what is the epicenter of an earthquake, we always hear that. "The epicenter of the quake." The point on the ground surface directly above the focus is known as the epicenter [Bolt].

There is also another amazing geographical phenomenon that occurs. It is a major tectonic feature related to foci and it is called the Wadati Benioff (dipping seismic) zone. This is a narrow zone, that dips under the Earth's crust to depths of up to 700 km. It is a deep foci that generally occurs in Island arcs and deep ocean trenches.

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11y ago

The point inside the earth from where the earthquake originates is called focus.

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12y ago

The focus is directly below the epicenter in the earthquake. Though this does not mean it is 2 feet below. It is inside of the sea floor or Earth's crust.

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6y ago

Nothing - they're just different names for the same thing.... The place where the earthquake originated.

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Wiki User

8y ago

Epicentre.

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Q: What does focus mean in a earthquake?
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Does the word focus mean the location of an earthquake?

The word focus (or hypocentre) is used to describe the location within the Earth where an earthquake occurs. The point directly above this on the Earth's surface is known as the earthquake's epicentre.


What does hypocenter mean?

Also known as the 'focus', it is the area underground where an earthquake originates.


Where is The focus of an earthquake is located?

the focus of an earthquake is beneath the surface of the earth in the crust.


What does epicenter mean?

It is the point at which some event started. Such as the spot where an earthquake originates would be called the epicenter.


The center of an earthquake?

focus

Related questions

What mean earthquake focus?

asw2. The epicentre is the underground location of the earthquake, and the focus is the point on the surface directly above the epicentre.


Does the word focus mean the location of an earthquake?

The word focus (or hypocentre) is used to describe the location within the Earth where an earthquake occurs. The point directly above this on the Earth's surface is known as the earthquake's epicentre.


Where is an earthquake's focus located?

An earthquake's Focus is located directly under the Epicenter of an earthquake. The Epicenterof an earthquake is located on the surface of the earthquake.


What is the focus and epicenter of an earthquake?

The focus of an earthquake is the point along a fault at which the first motion of an earthquake occurs.The epicenter of an earthquake is the point on Earth's surface directly above an earthquake's starting point, or focus.


What does hypocenter mean?

Also known as the 'focus', it is the area underground where an earthquake originates.


What is focus and epicenter of an earthquake?

The focus of an earthquake is the point along a fault at which the first motion of an earthquake occurs.The epicenter of an earthquake is the point on Earth's surface directly above an earthquake's starting point, or focus.


Whats the difference between the epicenter of an earthquake and the focus of the earthquake?

The focus of an earthquake is the place where an earthquake occurred along the fault underground, while the epicenter is the place directly above it where the seismic waves were felt.The focus is where an earthquake starts and the epicenter is where the earthquake hits the hardest.The focus of the earthquake is where the actual earthquake occurred and the epicenter is on the ground directly above the focus. The epicenter is used to say where the earthquake was in relation to places near where it occurred.


Where is The focus of an earthquake is located?

the focus of an earthquake is beneath the surface of the earth in the crust.


What is also known as the 'focus' - the place underground where an earthquake originates?

The Underground center of an earthquake is called the focus.


What does epicenter mean?

It is the point at which some event started. Such as the spot where an earthquake originates would be called the epicenter.


What is another name for the focus of an earthquake?

Another name for the focus of an earthquake is the hypocenter of an earthquake. This is the strongest point in the earthquake, like the eye of the storm.


How is the focus of an earthquake related to the epicenter?

earthquake