I found something about the elements.

Pre-Merge elements are pre-science concepts:
Shockwave, Brute Force, Fire, Lightning, Nature, Heat, Etc.

Post-merge are scientific ideas, which explains some of them seeming out of place:
Fusion (Compounds), Quake (Seismics), Tech (Mechanations), Size (Mass), Propulsion (Motion), Figment (Matter), etc. Most obviously, surface tension

This is my interpretation though. Even ones like speed fall into this. I see it as associating the pre-merge elements to deities from the real world.
Water - Poseidon
Poison - Apollo
Earth - Gaia
Ice - Boreads and Boreus
Lightning - Zeus, Thor
Fire - Hephaestus
Energy/Life - Ma'At
Form - Loki
Gravity is harder

This doesn't work for every element and some are a bit harder to place but if we look at the elements it makes to me.

Hence my point