Before an earthquake, stress accumulates along a fault line, causing strain on the rock. At a particle level, this strain involves the buildup of potential energy as the rocks deform elastically, storing energy until it surpasses the breaking point, leading to an earthquake. So when a solid elastically deforms and breaks, at a particle level, the bonds between atoms or molecules stretch until they reach their breaking point. This deformation involves the rearrangement of atoms or molecules within the material, storing potential energy until the breaking point is reached, causing the material to fracture.
