Which mechanism causes significant elevation change after a megathrust earthquake near a coastline?

💡 Explanation

When locked sections of a subduction zone suddenly slip during an earthquake, elastic rebound occurs because the built-up strain is released rapidly, vertically displacing large crustal blocks along coastlines on the overriding plate. Therefore coastal elevation changes result, rather than gradual isostatic uplift, minor thermal expansion, or rainfall induced erosion which take significantly longer time scales.

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