What happens when stress builds at faults?

Energy is absorbed.
Rock can bend and break.
Plates form on the lithosphere.
Earthquakes develop at Earth’s surface.

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
Correct answer: Rock can bend and break.

When stress builds along a fault, the rock deforms (bends) and accumulates elastic strain energy. If the stress exceeds the rock’s strength the rock breaks and that stored energy is released as seismic waves, causing an earthquake at the surface. (Plates don’t form as a result of this — they already make up the lithosphere.)