Hypocenter

"Ground zero" redirects here. For other uses, see Ground zero (disambiguation).

A hypocenter or hypocentre (from Ancient Greek ὑπόκεντρον (hupókentron) 'below the center'), also called ground zero[1][2] or surface zero, is the point on the Earth's surface directly below a nuclear explosion, meteor air burst, or other mid-air explosion. In seismology, the hypocenter of an earthquake is its point of origin below ground; a synonym is the focus of an earthquake.[3]

Generally, the terms ground zero and surface zero are also used in relation to epidemics, and other disasters to mark the point of the most severe damage or destruction. The term is distinguished from the term zero point in that the latter can also be located in the air, underground, or underwater.[4]

  1. ^ "hypocenter —- Definitions". Collins English Dictionary. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  2. ^ Royal Air Force Common Core and Deployment Skills Aide-Memoire AP 3242B VOL 5, ABBREVIATIONS
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference USGS was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "U.S. DoD Terminology: zero point". Retrieved 28 November 2016.