[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":3,"doc-seo-493658-105":59,"doc-detail-493658-en":130},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",[7,13,18,23,28,33,38,43,48,51,55],{"id":8,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":10,"show_sort_weight":11,"slug":12},1,"Document","Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":14,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":15,"show_sort_weight":16,"slug":17},2,"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":19,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":20,"show_sort_weight":21,"slug":22},4,"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":24,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":25,"show_sort_weight":26,"slug":27},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":29,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":30,"show_sort_weight":31,"slug":32},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":34,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":35,"show_sort_weight":36,"slug":37},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":39,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":40,"show_sort_weight":41,"slug":42},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":44,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":45,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":47},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":46,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":49,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":50},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":52,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":53,"show_sort_weight":52,"slug":54},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":56,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":57,"show_sort_weight":24,"slug":58},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":60,"data":61},"ok",{"site_id":62,"language":63,"slug":64,"title":65,"keywords":66,"description":67,"schema_data":68,"social_meta":123,"head_meta":125,"extra_data":127,"updated_unix":129},105,"en","earthquake-definitions-common-earthquake-terms","Earthquake Definitions - Common Earthquake Terms","","Earthquake Definitions explains key terminology used to describe earthquakes, including focus (hypocentre), epicentre, fault, magnitude, the Modified Mercalli Scale, seismology, and related wave behavior. It defines how focus and epicentre relate, outlines fault zones as sources of shaking, and contrasts magnitude measures such as Richter versus moment magnitude and Modified Mercalli. The document also describes aftershocks, foreshocks, and earthquake swarms, plus how seismic waves travel and cause ground shaking and long-distance effects.",{"@graph":69,"@context":122},[70,84,105],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":40,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/earthquake-definitions-common-earthquake-terms/493658/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/earthquake-definitions-common-earthquake-terms/493658.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"Alex Sinclair","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-14","2026-10-01",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":8},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",{"@type":106,"mainEntity":107},"FAQPage",[108,114,118],{"name":109,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":111},"What is the focus (hypocentre) of an earthquake?","Question",{"text":112,"@type":113},"The focus, or hypocentre, is where the earthquake originated, usually underground on the fault zone. It is the point the shaking begins from.","Answer",{"name":115,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":116},"How is earthquake magnitude described, and what scales are mentioned?",{"text":117,"@type":113},"Magnitude describes the size of an earthquake and can be calculated in different ways. The document mentions the Richter Scale and the moment magnitude scale, based on physical properties like slip area, and it also describes the Modified Mercalli Scale.",{"name":119,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":120},"What are aftershocks and foreshocks?",{"text":121,"@type":113},"Aftershocks are smaller earthquakes that may occur after the main earthquake in the same area. Foreshocks are smaller earthquakes that occur in the same area before a larger earthquake, and not all earthquakes have them.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":124,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":126,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":128,"site_id":62},493658,1791976246,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":131},{"doc_id":128,"user_id":132,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":39,"category_name":40,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":8,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":8,"language":139,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":143,"read_time":81},1099523882182,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_6f874abed73319feea01a86fa6f0fab8","Earthquake Definitions  \nCommon Earthquake Terms  \nFocus  \nEpicentre  \nFault Plane  \nMagnitude  \nModified Mercalli Scale  \nSeismology  \nAftershock  \nForeshock  \nWaves  \nThe focus or hypocentre of an earthquake is where the earthquake originated from, usually underground on the fault zone.  \nThe epicentre of an earthquake is the point on the surface of Earth directly above the epicentre.  \nA fault is a weak point within a tectonic plate where pressure from beneath the surface can break through and causing shaking in an earthquake.  \nMagnitude is used to describe the size of the Earthquake . There are a number of different ways to calculate the magnitude of an earthquake, including the Richter Scale. In Australia, seismologists prefer the use of the moment magnitude scale, which calculates the magnitude of an earthquake based on physical properties such as the area of movement (slip) along the fault plane.  \nThe Modified Mercalli scale is another way sometimes used to measure an earthquake. This scale is based on what people in the area felt and how much damage was done during the earthquake. This scale is in roman numerals.  \nEpicentre:  \nThe point on the ground directly above the focus  \nFault:  \nA weak point in the tectonic plate where pressure within the crust is released  \nWaves of earthquake:  \nThe seismic waves of an earthquake carry the force of the earthquake and cause damage on the surface  \nFocus:  \nWhere the earthquake begins. Also called the hypocentre.  \nSeismology is the study of earthquakes. People who study earthquakes are called Seismologists.  \nAftershocks are smaller earthquakes that may occur after the main earthquake in the same area. They are caused by the area readjusting to the fault movement, and some may be the result of continuing movement along the same fault zone.  \nForeshocks are smaller earthquakes occur in the same area as a larger earthquake that follows. Not all earthquakes have foreshocks or aftershocks. Sometimes a series of similar sized earthquakes, called an earthquake swarm, happens over months without being followed by a significantly larger earthquake.  \nEarthquake waves travel through and on top of the surface of Earth causing the shaking and vibrations on the ground. Earthquake waves can travel hundreds of kilometres causing earthquakes to be felt a long way away from the origin.  \n[For the latest version of this publication visit www.ses.vic.gov.au](For the latest version of this publication visit www.ses.vic.gov.au) Version : EMPC-EQD-1.0-W October 2012","cbCaivdWrWrj5mRU","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaivdWrWrj5mRU","pdf",210611,"English","# Common Earthquake Terms\n## Focus and Epicentre\n## Fault and Magnitude\n## Modified Mercalli Scale and Seismology\n## Aftershocks and Foreshocks\n## Waves, Earthquake Swarm","[{\"question\":\"What is the focus (hypocentre) of an earthquake?\",\"answer\":\"The focus, or hypocentre, is where the earthquake originated, usually underground on the fault zone. It is the point the shaking begins from.\"},{\"question\":\"How is earthquake magnitude described, and what scales are mentioned?\",\"answer\":\"Magnitude describes the size of an earthquake and can be calculated in different ways. The document mentions the Richter Scale and the moment magnitude scale, based on physical properties like slip area, and it also describes the Modified Mercalli Scale.\"},{\"question\":\"What are aftershocks and foreshocks?\",\"answer\":\"Aftershocks are smaller earthquakes that may occur after the main earthquake in the same area. Foreshocks are smaller earthquakes that occur in the same area before a larger earthquake, and not all earthquakes have them.\"}]","Earthquake Definitions - Common Earthquake Terms | PDF",1790884797]