The place on the Earth's crust directly above where an earthquake starts is called the epicenter.

Here's a breakdown:

* Focus (Hypocenter): This is the actual point *inside* the Earth where the earthquake originates. It's where the rocks break and release energy.

* Epicenter: This is the point on the Earth's surface directly above the focus. It's the point where the earthquake's seismic waves reach the surface first and are typically the strongest.

So, the epicenter is the point on the surface that experiences the most intense shaking from an earthquake.