地震发生时，地震震源向上垂直投影到地面的位置，也就是地面距震源最近的地方，称为震中，也叫震央（英语：Epicenter）。

地震的命名方法一般以震央所在地较为人熟悉的邻近地名为主，如**921集集大地震，因集集靠近震央，所以用集集为名；又如512汶川大地震，也是以震央汶川为名。

The epicenter, epicentre /ˈɛpɪsɛntər/ or epicentrum is the point on the Earth's surface that is directly above the hypocentre or focus, the point where an earthquake or underground explosion originates. The word derives from the New Latin noun epicentrum, the latinisation of the ancient Greek adjective ἐπίκεντρος (epikentros), "occupying a cardinal point, situated on a centre", from ἐπί (epi) "on, upon, at" and κέντρον (kentron) "centre". The term was coined by the Irish seismologist Robert Mallet.