An earthquake occurs with an epicenter in the town of New Madrid,Missouri,in the interior of the North American Plate.Where might the hypocenter of this earthquake plausibly be found?
A)in New Madrid (hypocenter and epicenter mean precisely the same thing)
B)20 km south of New Madrid
C)20 km beneath New Madrid
D)200 km beneath New Madrid

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Since the earthquake occurred in the interior of the North American Plate, it is unlikely that the hypocenter would be located very far from the epicenter. Additionally, earthquakes tend to occur at shallow depths, typically within the upper 20-30km of the Earth's crust. Therefore, choice C (20 km beneath New Madrid) is the most plausible location for the hypocenter.

An Earthquake Occurs with an Epicenter in the Town of New