Epicentral distance
Epicentral distance is a big fancy way of talking about how far away you are from an earthquake. When an earthquake happens, it creates waves that spread out like ripples on a pond. The point where the earthquake actually happened is called the epicenter, and the distance from that point to where you are is what's called the epicentral distance.
Think of it like playing with a ball in the park. If you're standing right next to your friend who throws the ball, you'll feel the impact of the ball hitting your hand very strongly. But if you're standing far away from your friend, the impact won't be as strong because the ball has to travel a long distance to get to you. It's the same with earthquakes - the closer you are to the epicenter, the stronger the earthquake will feel.
Scientists use epicentral distance to help figure out how strong an earthquake was, and how likely it is to cause damage or harm to people and buildings. So even though it sounds like a big, complicated term, it's really just a way of measuring how close or how far away you are from an earthquake.
Think of it like playing with a ball in the park. If you're standing right next to your friend who throws the ball, you'll feel the impact of the ball hitting your hand very strongly. But if you're standing far away from your friend, the impact won't be as strong because the ball has to travel a long distance to get to you. It's the same with earthquakes - the closer you are to the epicenter, the stronger the earthquake will feel.
Scientists use epicentral distance to help figure out how strong an earthquake was, and how likely it is to cause damage or harm to people and buildings. So even though it sounds like a big, complicated term, it's really just a way of measuring how close or how far away you are from an earthquake.