H. F. Reid developed the elastic-rebound theory of earthquakes from deformation associated with the 1906 California earthquake. The theory connects slow accumulation of elastic strain with sudden fault slip and release of stored energy.[ref]
Reid's Elastic Rebound Theory by United States Geological Survey. Surface-displacement observations and the elastic-rebound interpretation
An offset marker records displacement during rupture, while measurements spread over a broader region reveal the preceding deformation. These are complementary observations: the final offset alone does not describe the full volume of rock that stored elastic energy before the event.
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