What is the elastic rebound theory in simple terms?
Elastic rebound is what happens to the crustal material on either side of a fault during an earthquake. The idea is that a fault is stuck until the strain accumulated in the rock on either side of the fault has overcome the friction making it stick.
Why is elastic rebound theory important?
Elastic rebound theory fits in well with the theory of plate tectonics and helps explains the cyclical nature of many earthquakes including why earthquakes repeatedly occur in the same regions.
How did the San Francisco earthquake help the understanding of elastic rebound?
Introduction to Elastic Rebound Animation After the devastating 1906 San Francisco, California earthquake, a fault trace was discovered that could be followed along the ground in a more or less straight line for 270 miles. This theory is known as the “elastic rebound theory.”
What does the elastic rebound theory explain quizlet?
Elastic rebound theory. IT DESCRIBES THE BUILD UP AND RELEASE OF STRESS DURING AN EARTHQUAKE. Rocks on either side of a fault are locked in place by friction. Rocks will slowly deform over time. When the stress exceeds the strength of the rock, the rocks will fault.
How does elastic rebound theory work?
In geology, the elastic-rebound theory is an explanation for how energy is released during an earthquake. Then they separate with a rupture along the fault; the sudden movement releases accumulated energy, and the rocks snap back almost to their original shape.
Why is elastic deformation reversible?
When a sufficient load is applied to a metal or other structural material, it will cause the material to change shape. A temporary shape change that is self-reversing after the force is removed, so that the object returns to its original shape, is called elastic deformation. …
What is the relationship between elastic rebound theory and earthquake?
The elastic rebound theory is an explanation for how energy is spread during earthquakes. As rocks on oppo- site sides of a fault are subjected to force and shift, they accumulate energy and slowly deform until their inter- nal strength is exceeded.
What is the type of stress is responsible for producing a normal fault?
tensional stress
In terms of faulting, compressive stress produces reverse faults, tensional stress produces normal faults, and shear stress produces transform faults.
Which of the following best describes the elastic rebound theory?
How does elastic rebound theory describe how an earthquake takes place quizlet?
Elastic-rebound theory is the concept that earthquakes happen because stresses build up, causing rock to bend elastically until slip on a fault occurs. Stick-slip behavior describes when earthquakes occur due to slip on a preexisting fault. Faults act like scars, they remain weaker than the surrounding crust.
What should be needed for the rocks to successfully rebound to original shape?
As the Earth’s crust deforms, the rocks which span the opposing sides of a fault are subjected to shear stress. Then they separate with a rupture along the fault; the sudden movement releases accumulated energy, and the rocks snap back almost to their original shape.
How did Reid come up with the elastic rebound theory?
Reid’s Elastic Rebound Theory From an examination of the displacement of the ground surface which accompanied the 1906 earthquake, Henry Fielding Reid, Professor of Geology at Johns Hopkins University, concluded that the earthquake must have involved an “elastic rebound” of previously stored elastic stress.
How does elastic rebound work in an earthquake?
Elastic rebound. In geology, the elastic-rebound theory is an explanation for how energy is released during an earthquake. As adjoining plates on the Earth’s surface move in opposite directions, the rocks which span the opposing sides of the incipient fault are subjected to extreme shear stress.
What did Harry Fielding Reid postulate about earthquakes?
Harry Fielding Reid, after studying the fault trace of the 1906 earthquake, postulated that the forces causing earthquakes were not close to the earthquake source but very distant.
How often does elastic hysteresis cause an earthquake?
This deformation may build at the rate of a few centimeters per year. When the accumulated strain is great enough to overcome the strength of the rocks, the result is a sudden break, or a springing back to the original shape as much as possible, a jolt which is felt on the surface as an earthquake.