intermediate earthquake

geology

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 16, 2026

Quick Summary

Intermediate earthquakes originate between 60 and 300 km (40 to 186 miles) below the Earth's surface. While most earthquakes are shallow, intermediate quakes account for about 12 percent of the total energy released by earthquakes. The frequency of these earthquakes decreases as the focal depth increases within this range. Deeper earthquakes, occurring below intermediate depths, are often found in patterns known as Benioff zones. These zones dip into the Earth and are associated with subducting tectonic plates, commonly found along island arcs and ocean trenches.12

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

2 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

earthquake
Shallow, intermediate, and deep foci
…earthquakes, 12 percent comes from intermediate earthquakes—that is, quakes with a focal depth ranging from about 60 to 300 km. About 3 percent of total energy comes from deeper earthquakes. The frequency of occurrence falls off rapidly with increasing focal depth in the intermediate range. Below intermediate depth the distribution…
Read More
…earthquakes, 12 percent comes from intermediate earthquakes—that is, quakes with a focal depth ranging from about 60 to 300 km. About 3 percent of total energy comes from deeper earthquakes. The frequency of occurrence falls off rapidly with increasing focal depth in the intermediate range. Below intermediate depth the distribution…
Read More