Asked by Ofelia Navarro on May 19, 2024
Verified
When do rocks along a fault have the highest amount of stress and stored elastic strain?
A) right before an earthquake
B) right after an earthquake
C) several weeks or months after an earthquake
D) none of these because rocks cannot behave in an elastic manner
Stored Elastic Strain
The energy accumulated in rocks as a result of tectonic forces, which can be released suddenly during an earthquake.
Fault
A crack in the Earth's crust resulting from the displacement of one side with respect to the other, often associated with, or the result of, seismic activity.
Elastic Manner
Describes a response to deformation where a material returns to its original shape after the stress causing the deformation is removed.
- Acquire insight into the origins of earthquakes and their correlation with diverse fault categories.
Verified Answer
BG
Billy GomezMay 23, 2024
Final Answer :
A
Explanation :
Rocks along a fault have the highest amount of stress and stored elastic strain right before an earthquake. This is because the stress and strain accumulate over time as tectonic forces act on the rocks, but have not yet been released in the form of seismic energy.
Learning Objectives
- Acquire insight into the origins of earthquakes and their correlation with diverse fault categories.