1. n. [Geology]

Ability of a material to undergo stress, deform, and then recover and return to its original shape after the stress ceases. Once stress exceeds the yield stress or elastic limit of a material, permanent deformation occurs and the material will not return to its original shape when the stress is removed. In some materials, including rocks, elastic behavior depends on the temperature and the duration of the stress as well as its intensity.

See related terms: acoustic emission,  acoustic wave,  elastic constants,  elastic deformation,  elastic limit,  P-wave,  plastic,  S-wave,  seismic,  seismology,  sonic,  yield stress