fracture zone

American  

[frak-cher zohn] / ˈfræk tʃər ˌzoʊn /

noun

Geology, Oceanography.

1. a long, narrow rift on the ocean floor, separating areas of differing depth: where such a zone crosses a mid-ocean ridge, it displaces the ridge by faulting.

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Etymology

Origin of fracture zone

First recorded in 1960–65