BharatNotes Epicentre
nounUsage in a UPSC answer
The national capital became the epicentre of the anti-corruption agitation, with civil-society networks radiating mobilisation outward to district headquarters across the country.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Word Family
epicentral (adj), epicenters (n pl), hypocentre (n)
Root
Modern Latin epicentrum (1879); Greek epí = upon, over; kéntron = centre
Etymology
From Modern Latin epicentrum (1879), from Greek epí (ἐπί, "upon, over") + kéntron (κέντρον, "centre"); first used in seismology in 1885.
Memory Hook
"epi-" (upon) + "centre" — the spot upon the surface right over an earthquake's centre; by extension, the centre of any upheaval.
How This Word Works in UPSC Writing
The surface point vertically above the focus, or hypocentre, where rupture actually begins. The distinction earns marks because destructiveness depends on focal depth as much as on epicentral distance: a shallow-focus earthquake delivers far more surface shaking than a deep one of identical magnitude, since less of the energy is absorbed on the way up. It also follows that the epicentre is not reliably the point of worst damage. Soft alluvium, reclaimed ground and poor construction can concentrate destruction well away from it, which is why isoseismal maps of felt intensity, rather than the epicentre alone, guide relief deployment.
Don’t Confuse It With
The epicentre is on the surface; the focus or hypocentre is the underground point of rupture. Focal depth is the vertical distance between them and governs severity, while epicentral distance is measured along the surface to a given site. Isoseismal lines join places of equal felt intensity, and their pattern is usually distorted by geology rather than forming neat circles around the epicentre.
Hindi Meaning
अधिकेंद्र (adhikendra).
Common Questions
- What is the epicentre of an earthquake?
- The point on the Earth's surface directly above the focus, the underground point where the rupture begins.
- Is the epicentre always where damage is worst?
- No. Focal depth, local soil conditions and building quality can concentrate the heaviest damage away from the epicentre, which is why intensity is mapped separately from location.
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