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 New Madrid

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Since the epicenter is located in New Madrid, it is likely that the hypocenter (the point underground where the earthquake originates) is also located in the same general area. Option C, which suggests the hypocenter is 20 km beneath New Madrid, is the most plausible. Options A and D are not likely since they suggest the hypocenter is either directly in New Madrid or too far away from it. Option B could be a possibility, but since there is no information to suggest that the earthquake is associated with a specific fault or boundary, it is difficult to say whether the hypocenter would be located in a specific direction from the epicenter.

An Earthquake Occurs with an Epicenter in the Town of New