AbstractResponse to tectonic stress, micro ruptures will be produced in media within and surrounding a seismic source. With steady building up of stress, these ruptures will grow to become a rupture chain of some scale, indicative of a critical state of stress concentration. At this moment, the accumulated giant energy in the source is released suddenly in seismic waves propagating outward, producing a series of destructions and large faults on the surface. After a major shock occurs, using a proper model, seismic records at near and far stations as well as calculation of focal mechanisms, we can determine the rupture length and rupture processes of the seismic source. Observations show that during the generation and occurrence of a major or large earthquake, ruptures occur in the source as well as on the surface, which are of lengths several, tens or even thousand kilometers. It has been found that responses and traces of ruptures occurred before some earthquakes. Therefore it is possible to detect the initial micro ruptures and the dynamic processes of rupture chain generation through observations on the surface or in deep wells. This is probably an important approach to realize short‐term and impeding earthquake prediction.