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Incoming links: Elastic-rebound theory
Elastic-rebound theory 2026-11-05
Elastic-rebound theory explains an earthquake as rapid release of elastic strain accumulated while a fault resists relative motion. When slipping occurs, nearby rock moves toward a less-strained configuration and part of the released energy propagates as seismic waves.
The motivating observations for the 1906 California earthquake included displacement across the fault and deformation away from it. H. F. Reid used those relationships to connect slow loading with sudden slip. The theory concerns stored deformation and its release; it does not imply that every fault is locked uniformly or that stress measurements alone predict an earthquake's time.[ref]
Reid's Elastic Rebound Theory by United States Geological Survey. 1906 observations and Reid's interpretation
H. F. Reid Created 2026-10-20 Updated 2026-11-05
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.