Earthquake cycle

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The earthquake cycle describes the repeated accumulation and release of tectonic strain on a fault. Plate motion gradually deforms the surrounding crust until frictional resistance is overcome and an earthquake occurs.

The interseismic stage is the period between major earthquakes, when parts of a fault may be locked while strain builds. During the coseismic stage, rapid fault slip releases stored elastic energy and produces seismic waves.

After the main shock, postseismic deformation can continue through afterslip, viscoelastic relaxation, fluid movement, and aftershocks. These processes redistribute stress and begin the next loading interval.

Earthquake cycles are not perfectly periodic because faults interact and differ in geometry, friction, loading rate, and rupture history. Geodetic measurements, paleoseismology, seismic records, and numerical models are used to study recurrence.

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• Source / publisher: Wikipedia
• URL type: WWW
• Credits: Wikipedia
• URL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthquake_cycle