The
epicenter,
epicentre or
epicentrum is the point on the
Earth's surface that is directly above the
hypocentre or focus, the point where an
earthquake or underground explosion originates. The word derives from the
New Latin noun
epicentrum, the
latinisation of the
ancient Greek adjective ἐπίκεντρος (
epikentros), "occupying a cardinal point, situated on a centre", from ἐπί (
epi) "on, upon, at" and κέντρον (
kentron) "". The term was coined by the Irish
seismologist Robert Mallet.