How does the elastic rebound theory explain the occurrence of earthquakes?

The sudden return of elastically deformed rock to sit original shape is called elastic rebound. Elastic rebound happens when stress on rock along a fault becomes so grat that the rock breaks or fails. This failure causes the rocks on either side of the fault to jerk past one another. During this sudden motion, large amounts of energy are released. This energy travels through rock as seismic waves. These waves cause earthquakes. The strength of an earthquake is related to the amount of energy that is released during elastic rebound.