subduction
noun
sub·duc·tion
(ˌ)səb-ˈdək-shən 
: the action or process in plate tectonics of the edge of one crustal plate descending below the edge of another
Examples of subduction in a Sentence
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The coast that extends from northern California to Vancouver Island in British Columbia sits on a subduction zone where the Juan de Fuca, Explorer and Gorda oceanic plates slip beneath the North American continental plate—parts of the ever moving slabs of rock that make up our planet.
—
Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 30 Apr. 2025
Those are the findings of a new study that examined the repercussions of a massive earthquake on the Cascadia subduction zone, which stretches from Northern California up to Canada’s Vancouver Island.
—Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2025
This study underscores the need to consider combined earthquake and climate impacts in planning for coastal resilience at the Cascadia subduction zone and globally.
—Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Apr. 2025
Even though the Farallon Plate once played a pivotal role in shaping the North American plate, its ongoing subduction is supplying a steady flow of magma while releasing volatile compounds that gradually weaken the base of the craton.
—New Atlas, 19 Apr. 2025
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Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 30 Apr. 2025
Those are the findings of a new study that examined the repercussions of a massive earthquake on the Cascadia subduction zone, which stretches from Northern California up to Canada’s Vancouver Island.
—Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2025
This study underscores the need to consider combined earthquake and climate impacts in planning for coastal resilience at the Cascadia subduction zone and globally.
—Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Apr. 2025
Even though the Farallon Plate once played a pivotal role in shaping the North American plate, its ongoing subduction is supplying a steady flow of magma while releasing volatile compounds that gradually weaken the base of the craton.
—New Atlas, 19 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subduction
Cite this Entry
“Subduction.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subduction. Accessed 12 May. 2025.
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