Japan Trench

[ juh-pan trench ]

noun

1. an oceanic trench off northeastern Japan, created by the subduction of the Pacific Plate beneath the Okhotsk Plate, the continuous movement of which is a significant factor in the generation of earthquakes and tsunamis in northern Japan: part of the Pacific Ring of Fire.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Japan Trench¹

First recorded in 1905–10