Hypotsentri

Hypotsentri is a term that appears in some multilingual seismological texts to denote multiple hypocenters of earthquakes within a given region. The hypocenter, or focus, is the point inside the Earth where an earthquake originates; the surface location directly above it is called the epicenter. The form hypotentri or hypotentri-based plurals are encountered in translations or language-specific usage, while in English the standard plural is hypocenters. The exact linguistic origin of the plural form varies, but it reflects the same root meaning: a center located beneath the surface.

In technical practice, scientists specify the coordinates and depth of each hypocenter to analyze seismicity, rupture processes, and fault structures. Listings of several events in a region may be described collectively with a plural form, which some texts render as hypotsentri, though most English-language publications simply use hypocenters. Depth measurements, time of occurrence, magnitude, and focal mechanism are commonly reported alongside each hypocenter to support hazard assessments and tectonic interpretation.

Usage and context vary by language and publication. Hypotsentri is not a standard term in English-language seismology, where hypocenters is preferred. When encountered in multilingual sources, it typically functions as a direct translation or transliteration of the corresponding term in another language, rather than as an independent English concept. For readers, the essential concept remains the same: a hypocenter is the internal source point of an earthquake, and its accurate identification is central to understanding seismic activity. See also: hypocenter, epicenter, earthquake.