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📘 How an earthquake releases energy

Trace fault loading, elastic rebound, rupture, seismic waves, and aftershocks.

lessons

~10 min

to learn

🔬 Science

subject

Adults

level

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What you’ll learn

Plate motion
Fault
Elastic strain
Nucleation
Rupture
Seismic waves
Magnitude
Aftershocks
Surface effects
Cycle

Questions this course answers

What stores energy before many earthquakes?

Tectonic loading bends rock and stores elastic energy until fault slip releases it.

What is a fault?

Faults are fractures or zones of fractures along which rock has slipped.

Which wave generally arrives first at a seismometer?

P waves travel faster through rock than S and surface waves.

How does magnitude differ from intensity?

Magnitude is a source measure, while intensity varies by location and conditions.

Why do aftershocks occur?

Stress redistribution brings nearby fault patches closer to failure.

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