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Visual Glossary - mainshock

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  • mainshock

    The mainshock is the largest earthquake in a sequence, sometimes preceded by one or more foreshocks, and almost always followed by many aftershocks.

    Mainshock Flash Animation Mainshock Flash Animation

    mainshock

    The Landers fault (red lines at left) and the Hector Mine fault and its aftershocks (red lines and circles at right). The Hector Mine earthquake was a magnitude 7.1, and it produced thousands of aftershocks. (Image courtesy of Egill Hauksson, Caltech)