Final answer:
In the earthquake cycle, both 1. stress and 2. strain increase prior to an earthquake due to the tectonic plates becoming stuck and building up energy until release. Earthquake magnitudes represent the energy released and are a form of quantitative discrete data.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the earthquake cycle, both 1. stress and 2. strain increase prior to an earthquake. Stress is the force per unit area applied on a material, while strain is the deformation or displacement that occurs as a result of that stress. During an earthquake cycle, the tectonic plates are continually moving, but when parts of a plate become stuck, stress builds up until it exceeds the strength of the rocks, leading to sudden strain release in the form of an earthquake.
This accumulation of stress and strain can eventually overcome the friction holding the plates in place, resulting in an earthquake.
Earthquakes can manifest with varying magnitudes which quantify the amount of energy released during the event. The magnitude of an earthquake is a quantitative discrete form of data, as it can be represented by specific numerical values such as 2.1, 5.0, or 6.7. These values correspond to the energy released and are measured on the Richter scale, or more commonly now, the moment magnitude scale.