Episentrale

Episentrale is a term used in seismology to denote the point on the Earth's surface that lies directly above the hypocenter, which is the point within the Earth where an earthquake originates. While the hypocenter is the true source of seismic energy, the epicenter is often the location that is reported and discussed in the media because it is more accessible and observable on the surface. The depth of the hypocenter below the epicenter is referred to as the focal depth. The epicenter is a crucial reference point for understanding earthquake distribution and for calculating seismic wave travel times. The distance from an earthquake's epicenter to a seismic recording station is a fundamental parameter used in seismology. Various methods, such as triangulation using data from multiple seismic stations, are employed to determine an earthquake's epicenter. It is important to distinguish the epicenter from the hypocenter, as they represent different locations related to an earthquake event. The epicenter is a surface projection, while the hypocenter is the subsurface origin.