Hypocenter Depth
How far below the surface an earthquake's rupture began, which shapes how hard the surface shakes.
Depth is the distance below the surface to the hypocenter, where the rupture started. This tracker shows it in kilometers next to every quake because it matters as much as magnitude for how a quake is felt.
Shallow earthquakes (less than about 70 km) deliver their energy close to the surface, so they shake harder and can cause more local damage for the same magnitude. Deep earthquakes (over 300 km) spread their energy out before it reaches the surface, often felt across wide areas but causing less concentrated destruction. Reading magnitude and depth together gives a far better sense of impact.