Which of the following statements regarding earthquakes is/are correct

Which of the following statements regarding earthquakes is/are correct ?

  • 1. The point on the Earth’s surface directly above the focus is called the epicentre of the earthquake.
  • 2. Earthquakes generate Primary and Secondary waves that radiate outward from the earthquake focus.
  • 3. Deep-focus earthquakes are likely to cause more damage than shallow-focus earthquakes.

Select the answer using the code given below :

1 only
1 and 2 only
2 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3
This question was previously asked in
UPSC NDA-1 – 2024
Statements 1 and 2 are correct, while statement 3 is incorrect.
Statement 1 accurately defines the epicentre as the point on the Earth’s surface directly above the focus (hypocentre), which is the point where the earthquake originates within the Earth. Statement 2 is correct as earthquakes generate various types of seismic waves, including Primary (P) waves and Secondary (S) waves (body waves), which propagate outwards from the focus. Statement 3 is incorrect; deep-focus earthquakes generally cause less damage at the surface than shallow-focus earthquakes of similar magnitude because the seismic waves travel a greater distance and lose energy before reaching the surface.
Earthquake magnitude measures the energy released at the source, while intensity measures the shaking and damage caused at a specific location. Surface waves typically cause the most damage.
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