Benioff zone

American  

[ben-ee-awf, -of] / ˈbɛn iˌɔf, -ˌɒf /

noun

Geology, Oceanography.

1. a planar seismic zone in oceanic crust along which subduction of lithospheric plates gives rise to frequent earthquakes: marked by oceanic trenches sloping downward at about 45° toward adjacent island arcs or continents.

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Benioff zone British  

/ ˈbɛnɪəf /

noun

1. a long narrow region, usually adjacent to a continent, along which earthquake foci lie on a plane which dips downwards at about 45° and along which the oceanic lithosphere is thought to be descending into the earth's interior Compare subduction zone

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Etymology

Origin of Benioff zone

After Hugo Benioff (1899–1968), U.S. geophysicist