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

This area marks the meeting point of the San Andreas fault and the Cascadia subduction zone, a place capable of producing powerful and destructive earthquakes.

From Science Daily • Jan. 17, 2026

"This is the first time we have a clear picture of a subduction zone caught in the act of dying," said Shuck.

From Science Daily • Oct. 25, 2025

"Getting a subduction zone started is like trying to push a train uphill -- it takes a huge effort," said Brandon Shuck, a geologist at Louisiana State University and lead author of the study.

From Science Daily • Oct. 25, 2025

The authors suggest that, for thousands of years, large earthquakes on the Cascadia subduction zone were quickly followed by large earthquakes on the northern San Andreas fault.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 7, 2025

Cascadia scenario: Given its proximity to the Cascadia subduction zone, Del Norte County — the state’s northernmost coastal region — is perhaps more exposed to tsunami risk than any other part of California.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2025