Final answer:
After the cessation of motion along a fault, stress gradually accumulates again due to plate motion, potentially leading to stronger earthquakes. The longer the interval between these seismic events, the more stress builds up, increasing the energy released during slippage. The nature of these stresses contributes to fault activity and mountain building.
Step-by-step explanation:
Following the cessation of motion along a fault, the stress on the fault does not simply disappear. Instead, as tectonic plates continue to move over time, stress will gradually build up again along the fault due to the creeping motion of the plates. This stress accumulation can eventually lead to potential slippages, where the stress is released in the form of earthquakes. Given that the average motion of the plates is consistent, typically several centimeters per year, the longer the time between these slippages, the more stress accumulates, leading to potentially more energetic earthquakes when the fault slips.
Plate boundaries are defined by multiple types of motion and consequent stresses, such as strike-slip faults with horizontal displacement and dip-slip faults ranging from normal faults during extension, to reverse and thrust faults during compression. These geological structures are the result of complex interactions between moving crustal plates and are essential in understanding earthquake mechanics and mountain building processes.
The rate of plate movement, such as the annual 5 cm/year movement along the San Andreas Fault, can be used to estimate the amount of slippage needed to release accumulated strain after significant time intervals, highlighting the dynamic evolution of Earth's surface features.