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 north of New Madrid

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Since the earthquake occurred in the interior of the North American Plate, it is most likely a result of intraplate seismic activity. Intraplate earthquakes tend to occur deeper in the earth's crust (at depths of several kilometers), which is why the Hypocenter is mostly beneath the surface rather than on it. Therefore, a plausible location for the hypocenter of this earthquake could be 20 km beneath New Madrid.

An Earthquake Occurs with an Epicenter in the Town of New