volcanic arc
Americannoun
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A curved chain of volcanoes in the overriding tectonic plate of a subduction zone. Volcanic arcs form as the result of rising magma formed by the melting of the downgoing plate. They are curved because of the curvature of the Earth. The Andes mountains form a volcanic arc.
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See also island arc
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The full research paper, 'A new tektite strewn field in Australia ejected from a volcanic arc impact crater 11 Myr ago', is published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2025
Shishaldin is one of the most active volcanoes in the Aleutian volcanic arc.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 15, 2023
Newberry Volcano is the largest volcano in the Cascades volcanic arc and covers about 1,200 square miles.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 2, 2022
This rock was laid down by rivers, lakes and streams east of a volcanic arc that was depositing ash and fine-grained particles into the area.
From Scientific American ● Dec. 15, 2020
The continental plate behind the volcanic arc gets stretched like pizza dough until the surface cracks and collapses to form a backarc basin.
From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2017
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
