The epicenter is the point on the surface of the Earth directly above the hypocenter of an earthquake. The location of an epicenter can be found using three seismographs. By measuring the lag time between the P-wave and S-wave, each station can calculate their distance to the earthquake.

Volcanoes are most common in these geologically active boundaries. The two types of plate boundaries that are most likely to produce volcanic activity are divergent plate boundaries and convergent plate boundaries. At a divergent boundary, tectonic plates move apart from one another.

The main importance in determining the epicentre is so that the fault that ruptured causing the earthquake can be identified. If the fault is previously unknown (such as the 2010 Canterbury earthquake), then it is important because it means that the hazard models for the area need improvement.

The earthquakes are mainly distributed along the edges of the platonic plates on the map. Explanation: The colored lines show the plate boundaries that may may past each other leading to an earthquake. The map also differentiates the different movements of the plates like rubbing against each other or moving apart.

The ten provinces most at risk of earthquakes – due to the presence of or their nearness to active faults and trenches – include Surigao del Sur, La Union, Benguet, Pangasinan, Tarlac, Pampanga, Ifugao, Davao Oriental, Nueva Vizcaya and Nueva Ecija (Manila Observatory, 2005).

An earthquake is what happens when two blocks of the earth suddenly slip past one another. The location below the earth’s surface where the earthquake starts is called the hypocenter, and the location directly above it on the surface of the earth is called the epicenter. Sometimes an earthquake has foreshocks.