Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
Region VII, Central Visayas
Division of Bohol
Grade 8 Science
2nd Quarter
L E A R N I N G A C T I V I T Y No. 2
Activity Title: Focus and Epicenter
Learning Differentiate the epicenter of the earthquake from its focus (S8ES-
Competency: IIa-15)
Learning Target: Differentiate the epicenter of the earthquake from its focus
Reference: www.classzone.com/vpg_ebooks/sci_sc_8/accessibility/sci_sc_8/page_228.pdf

All earthquakes start beneath Earth’s surface. The focus of an earthquake is

the point underground where rocks first begin to move. Seismic waves travel
outward from the earthquake’s focus. The epicenter (EHP-ih-SEHN-tuhr) is
the point on Earth’s surface directly above the focus. Scientists often name
an earthquake after the city that is closest to its epicenter. In general, if two
earthquakes of equal strength have the same epicenter, the one with the
shallower focus causes more damage. Seismic waves from a deep-focus
earthquake lose more of their energy as they travel farther up to Earth’s
surface. The depths of earthquakes along tectonic plate boundaries are
related to the directions in which the plates move. For example, an earthquake
along a mid-ocean spreading center has a shallow focus. There, the plates are
pulling apart, and the new crust that forms is thin. Subduction zones have a
wide range of earthquake depths, from shallow to very deep. Earthquakes can
occur anywhere along the sinking plates.

Exercise:
1. Show an illustration comparing focus and epicenter.