Our results have multiple implications across the Earth and engineering sciences. The degassing rate of noble gases from crystalline rocks is clearly dependent upon the evolving state of stress and strain. The noble gas release patterns observed were systematic and reveal information on the deformation processes at work and can be observed well before traditional measures of macroscopic failure. In addition to developing a new process to be considered when interpreting noble gases in crustal fluids, we lay the foundation for a new signal to monitor changes in stress and strain at a variety of scales in both subsurface and engineered materials. Changes in the release of 4He or other radiogenic noble gases could provide an early warning system for detecting changes in microcrack-related permanent strain and subsequent dilation precursive to macroscopic failure such as earthquakes or mine failure.