Whose work first explained earthquakes as sudden slip along faults?
Quick Answer
Harry Fielding Reid is best known for the elastic rebound theory, proposed after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. He explained earthquakes as the sudden release of strain when rocks break and slip on a fault.
The Full Story
Harry Fielding Reid developed the elastic rebound theory after studying the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. He showed that rocks on either side of a fault can slowly deform as stress builds up, then snap back when the fault ruptures. This idea explained why earthquakes happen suddenly even though tectonic stress accumulates gradually over time. Reid’s theory remains a foundation of modern seismology. It is one of the clearest early scientific explanations of earthquake mechanics.
Key Facts
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"The science behind why the ground suddenly breaks during earthquakes"
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