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 subduction zone has produced some of the largest earthquakes ever recorded, such as the 1964 Alaska earthquake that measured as a 9.2 magnitude, according to the Alaska Earthquake Center.
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Antonio Pequeño Iv, Forbes.com, 16 July 2025
With the system’s completion last month, Japan has become the first country to achieve direct, real-time monitoring of entire subduction zones—adding minutes and seconds to evacuate people and brace crucial infrastructure for impact.
—Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 9 July 2025
The earthquake started on the Great Sumatran Fault, a fault system linked to the subduction of the Indian Plate underneath the Sunda Plate.
—David Bressan, Forbes, 26 Dec. 2024
The new study suggests, however, that around coronae, something quite similar to subduction could be happening.
—Elise Cutts, Scientific American, 13 May 2025
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Antonio Pequeño Iv, Forbes.com, 16 July 2025
With the system’s completion last month, Japan has become the first country to achieve direct, real-time monitoring of entire subduction zones—adding minutes and seconds to evacuate people and brace crucial infrastructure for impact.
—Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 9 July 2025
The earthquake started on the Great Sumatran Fault, a fault system linked to the subduction of the Indian Plate underneath the Sunda Plate.
—David Bressan, Forbes, 26 Dec. 2024
The new study suggests, however, that around coronae, something quite similar to subduction could be happening.
—Elise Cutts, Scientific American, 13 May 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 21 Jul. 2025.
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