subduction zone

British  

noun

1. geology a long narrow, often arcuate, zone along which subduction takes place

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subduction zone Scientific  

1. A convergent plate boundary where one plate subducts beneath the other, usually because it is denser. The western coast of South America is roughly coincident with a subduction zone in which a plate consisting of ocean floor is subducting beneath the continental mass of South America.

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Example Sentences

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subduction zone

A recent study suggests that the Cascadia subduction zone and the San Andreas fault can become synchronized, with a major earthquake on one fault potentially followed by seismic activity on the other.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 24, 2026

Cape Mendocino is particularly important because it lies near the region where the northern San Andreas system and the Cascadia subduction zone converge.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 24, 2026

The work helps address an important gap in scientists' understanding of the Cascadia subduction zone.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 30, 2026

"We initially assumed that water released from the subduction zone directly controlled gold enrichment," says Timm.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 29, 2026

Two major fault systems along North America's West Coast, the Cascadia subduction zone and the San Andreas fault, may be more closely connected than previously believed.

From Science Daily ● May 2, 2026