What is illustrated by this figure?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The figure shows that stress increases over time until it matches the strength of the fault, after which stress decreases. This is illustrated by the curve reaching its maximum point and then decreasing. Option A is incorrect because stress does not consistently increase throughout time, as it eventually decreases. Option B is also incorrect for the same reason. Option C is incorrect because fault strength does not consistently increase with stress; it remains constant until the stress matches its strength, after which it fails.

What Is Illustrated by This Figure