Question

The point on the earth's surface directly above the point of origin of the earthquake is called ___________.
A.Crust
B.Vibration
C.Epicenter
D.None of these

Answer 1

Hint: When large blocks of the Earth's crust shift abruptly past each other at a fault, earthquakes happen. Often the fragments don't slip easily past each other as the force of plate tectonics causes the pieces of the Earth's crust to shift.

Complete answer: The focus (or hypocenter) of the earthquake is called the place within the Earth where an earthquake starts. The location on the surface of the Earth immediately above the focus is called the earthquake's epicenter. During an earthquake, the most shaking occurs at the epicenter. The ground surface splits along the fault occasionally. The movement is deep underground sometimes, and the surface does not break.

The epicenter is the location where the greatest damage takes place in most earthquakes, but the duration of the rupture of the subsurface fault can also be a long one, and damage may be distributed over the entire rupture zone on the land. More than a million earthquakes happen each year. Some of them are so tiny that people don't notice the shaking of the planet. But a few are large enough that they are felt by individuals, and a few are so large that they cause substantial harm.

Thus, the answer is option C: Epicenter

Note: Earthquakes cause damage to buildings and other constructed structures, such as bridges and highways. Earthquakes can cause landslides and mudslides as well. A tsunami - a huge ocean wave or series of waves that can cause major damage if it reaches a populated coastal region - can form a large earthquake that occurs under the ocean.