Final answer:
The elastic rebound theory for the origin of earthquakes was first proposed by Reid following the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.
Step-by-step explanation:
The elastic rebound theory for the origin of earthquakes was first proposed by Reid following the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.The elastic rebound theory, developed by Harry Fielding Reid, explains how energy is stored in rocks along a fault line. Before an earthquake, stress causes the rocks on either side of a fault to deform elastically, storing energy. When the stress exceeds the strength of the rocks, they suddenly break and "rebound" to a more stable position, releasing the stored energy in the form of seismic waves, causing an earthquake.