Benioff zone

[ ben-ee-awf, -of ]

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.

Benioff zone

/ 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of Benioff zone¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of Benioff zone¹

C20: named after Hugo Benioff (1899–1968), American seismologist, who first discovered the phenomenon