震源(しんげん)

しんげん
noun
hypocenter; seismic focus
naturegeography
1. hypocenter; seismic focus
The underground point where an earthquake originates, as distinct from the epicenter (⟦震央(しんおう)→震央：24851_shinou⟧), the point on the surface directly above it. A key term in earthquake-related news and information.
震源(しんげん)は海底(かいてい)だった。
The hypocenter was under the sea.
震源(しんげん)の深(ふか)さは約(やく)10キロだった。
The depth of the hypocenter was about 10 kilometers.
気象庁(きしょうちょう)は震源(しんげん)が内陸(ないりく)の浅(あさ)い場所(ばしょ)であると発表(はっぴょう)した。
The Meteorological Agency announced that the hypocenter was at a shallow inland location.
2. source; origin; root cause
Figuratively, the origin or source of trouble, conflict, or a problem.
彼(かれ)が問題(もんだい)の震源(しんげん)だ。
He is the source of the problem.
その部署(ぶしょ)が社内(しゃない)トラブルの震源(しんげん)になっている。
That department is the source of internal trouble.
経済危機(けいざいきき)の震源(しんげん)がどこにあるのか、専門家(せんもんか)の間(あいだ)でも意見(いけん)が分(わ)かれている。
Even among experts, opinions are divided on where the source of the economic crisis lies.

Usage

震源(しんげん) combines 震(しん) (quake, tremor) and 源(げん) (source, origin). Strictly speaking, 震源(しんげん) is the hypocenter, the underground point of origin, while 震央(しんおう) is the epicenter, the point on the surface directly above it. 震源地(しんげんち) refers loosely to the general location of the earthquake's origin and is often used interchangeably with 震源(しんげん) in news reports.

Common collocations

  • 震源(しんげん)の深(ふか)さ (depth of the hypocenter)
  • 震源地(しんげんち) (epicenter location)
  • 震源(しんげん)に近(ちか)い (close to the epicenter)

Similar words

震源地(しんげんち) specifically refers to the surface point above the earthquake origin. 震源(しんげん) is more general and is also the form used in figurative senses.

Related Words

Related: 地震(じしん) (earthquake)
Related: 発信源(はっしんげん) (source (of a signal, information, or transmission))
Compare: 震央(しんおう) (epicenter (of an earthquake))
general
Added 2026.3.9 19:27 · Revised 2026.9.2 21:55
16000/16060_shingen