Editing Hypocenter (section)

{{short description|Point of origin of an earthquake or the point below a nuclear explosion or meteor air burst}}
{{redirect|Ground zero|other uses}}
{{Use American English|date=August 2020}}
{{Earthquakes}}
A '''hypocenter''' or '''hypocentre''' ({{etymology|grc|''{{Wikt-lang|grc|ὑπόκεντρον}}'' ({{grc-transl|ὑπόκεντρον}})|below the center}}), also called '''ground zero'''<ref name="CollinsDict">{{cite web | url=https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/hypocenter | title=hypocenter —- Definitions | work=Collins English Dictionary | access-date=12 July 2024}}</ref><ref>Royal Air Force Common Core and Deployment Skills Aide-Memoire AP 3242B VOL 5, ABBREVIATIONS</ref> 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.<ref name="USGS" />

Generally, the terms ''ground zero'' and ''surface zero'' are also used in relation to [[epidemic]]s, and other [[disaster]]s 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.militaryfactory.com/dictionary/military-terms-defined.asp?term_id=5818 |title=U.S. DoD Terminology: zero point |access-date=28 November 2016}}</ref>