epicenter

noun

1. Also epicentrum. Geology. a point, directly above the true center of disturbance, from which the shock waves of an earthquake apparently radiate.
2. a focal point, as of activity: Manhattan’s Chinatown is the epicenter of the city’s Chinese community.

1. The point on the Earth’s surface that is directly above the focus (the point of origin) of an earthquake. The epicenter is usually the location where the greatest damage associated with an earthquake occurs. See Note at earthquake.