subduction
noun
sub·duc·tion
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Definition of subduction
: the action or process in plate tectonics of the edge of one crustal plate descending below the edge of another
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Other Words from subduction
subduct
\ (ˌ)səb-ˈdəkt
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verb
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verb
Examples of subduction in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Pacific Ocean contains the subduction zones of several tectonic plates. — Tom Metcalfe, NBC News, "What are earthquakes, and what causes them?," 13 Aug. 2019 In places where the plates collide, one often dives beneath another, forming what’s known as a subduction zone. — National Geographic, "Six underwater volcanoes found hiding in plain sight," 2 Aug. 2019 While that’s far less powerful than a magnitude 9 subduction zone megaquake, a quake of that size near any city in the state would be devastating. — Sandi Doughton, The Seattle Times, "Friday earthquakes on a crustal fault show it’s not only the ‘Big One’ we should fear," 13 July 2019 Worried about a Cascadia subduction-zone earthquake? — oregonlive.com, "‘Clone tick’ swarms, new to U.S., are killing cattle by draining their blood, chasing after humans," 12 July 2019 The larger the slab of lithosphere sinking at a subduction zone, the faster the plate moves, and the stronger the seismic activity. Plates meet. — National Geographic, "THE PACIFIC’S FIERY RING," 27 June 2019 This deep sea thallium would have then fallen into the mantle in the nearby subduction zone, where the boundary of one tectonic plate slips under another. — Sophia Chen, WIRED, "New Analysis Techniques Unearth a Trove of Unusual Minerals," 1 July 2019 With this idea in hand, the duo started experimenting with a numerical model of modern global subduction. — Ben Horton, National Geographic, "What jumpstarted Earth's plate tectonics? New clues point to ancient glaciers.," 5 June 2019 When those plates collide and one slides beneath the other, water gets pulled into the subduction zone. — Jill Kiedaisch, Popular Mechanics, "Earth’s Crust Is Swallowing Way More Ocean Than We Thought," 15 Nov. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'subduction.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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