Usually near.
Near.
At epicenter.
The proximity of the epicentre to populated or urban areas will effect the damage caused as the closer the earthquake's epicentre, the more energy will be retained by the earthquake waves and so the greater their capacity to cause damage.
It is important to do this because then people will know how much damage it REALLY caused, if it could've triggered tsunamis, how big it is, the epicenters' magnitude, and where it started. They would also know possible ways that it happened, if it is linked to other earthquakes, and what it could cause in the future. That is why it is important to locate the epicenter.
The epicenter
away from epicenter
away from epicenter
Near.
Usually near.
All other factors being equal, the seismic waves will be felt most strongly at or near to the epicentre of the earthquake.
The more energy, the more damage it can cause.
Earthquake damage tends to be most intense at the epicenter, although sometimes an earthquake behaves unexpectedly and the damage is heaviest elsewhere.
The seismograph taken at the epicenter will experience more rapid shaking because it is on the epicenter. The seismograph take further away from the epicenter will experience less violent shaking.
A certain area might suffer more damage in earthquakes. It is because that area might be near the epicenter.
At epicenter.
the biggest 1 will but it depends on the depth of the quakes It also depends on how near the epicenter is to an urban area.
This is the point on the earth's surface directly above the hypocentre of the earthquake. As such the seismic waves have traveled a minimum distance and so there has been a minimum dissipation of energy. This means they have retained the majority of their energy and so are able to cause the most damage.