SubductionDiagram of the geological process of subductionSubduction is a geological process in which the oceanic lithosphere and some continental lithosphere is recycled into the Earth's mantle at the convergent boundaries between tectonic plates. Where one tectonic plate converges with a second plate, the heavier plate dives beneath the other and sinks into the mantle.
Plate tectonicsPlate tectonics (from Latin, from Ancient Greek (tektonikós)'pertaining to building') is the scientific theory that Earth's lithosphere comprises a number of large tectonic plates, which have been slowly moving since 3–4 billion years ago. The model builds on the concept of continental drift, an idea developed during the first decades of the 20th century.
Mariana TrenchThe Mariana Trench is the deepest oceanic trench on Earth, located in the western Pacific Ocean, about 200 kilometers (124 mi) east of the Mariana Islands. It is crescent-shaped and measures about 2,550 km (1,580 mi) in length and 69 km (43 mi) in width. The maximum known depth is 10,935 ± 6 meters (35,876 ± 20 ft; 5,979.3 ± 3.3 fathoms; 6.7947 ± 0.0037 mi) at the southern end of a small slot-shaped valley in its floor known as the Challenger Deep.
Pacific OceanLargest ocean on EarthThe Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It stretches from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is bounded by the continents of Asia and Australia in the west and the Americas in the east.
SeabedThe seabed is the bottom of the ocean. Alternatively, it is known as the seafloor, sea floor, ocean floor, or ocean bottom. The floor of all the world's oceans is known as the seabed. The structure of the seabed of the global ocean is governed by plate tectonics. Most of the ocean is very deep, where the seabed is known as the abyssal plain.
Depression (geology)In geology, a depression is a landform sunken or depressed below the surrounding area. Depressions form by various mechanisms.
Convergent boundaryA convergent boundary (also known as a destructive boundary) is an area on Earth where two or more lithospheric plates collide. One plate eventually slides beneath the other, a process known as subduction. The subduction zone can be defined by a plane where many earthquakes occur, called the Wadati–Benioff zone.
Slab (geology)In geology, the slab (variously called subducting, downgoing or oceanic lithosphere slab) is a significant constituent of subduction zones. It is the part of the subducting plate which bends downward and descends into the mantle in a convergent tectonic plate boundary.
LithosphereA lithosphere is the rigid outermost rocky shell of a terrestrial planet or natural satellite. On Earth, it is composed of the crust and the lithospheric mantle, the topmost portion of the upper mantle that behaves elastically on time scales of up to thousands of years or more. The crust and upper mantle are distinguished on the basis of chemistry and mineralogy.
Indian OceanOceanic divisionThe Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering 70,560,000 km (27,240,000 sq mi) or approximately 20% of the water area of Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by the Southern Ocean or Antarctica, depending on the definition in use.
Challenger DeepThe Challenger Deep is the deepest known point of the seabed of Earth, located in the western Pacific Ocean at the southern end of the Mariana Trench, in the ocean territory of the Federated States of Micronesia. The GEBCO Gazetteer of Undersea Feature Names indicates that the feature is situated at 11°22.4′N 142°35.5′E and has an approximated maximum depth of 5,962 to 6,020 fathoms (10,903 to 11,009 m; 35,772 to 36,120 ft) below sea level.
TopographyTopography is the study of forms and features of land surfaces. The topography of an area may refer to landforms and features themselves, or a description or depiction in maps. Topography is a field of geoscience and planetary science, and is concerned with local detail in general, including not only relief, but also natural, artificial, and cultural features such as roads, land boundaries, and buildings.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.