subduction

noun

sub·duc·tion | \ (ˌ)səb-ˈdək-shən

How to pronounce subduction (audio)

\

Definition of subduction

: the action or process in plate tectonics of the edge of one crustal plate descending below the edge of another

Other Words from subduction Example Sentences Learn More about subduction

Keep scrolling for more

Examples of subduction in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

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. 2018 Most places where the Earth erupts are at subduction zones, where one tectonic plate is thrust beneath another. — Author: Scott Wilson, Sarah Kaplan, Anchorage Daily News, "As Kilauea erupts, volcanologists swarm: ‘I expect great science from this event’," 24 May 2018 In subduction zones, or the area where two tectonic plates collide, GPS measurements have shown that fault lines can move without causing seismic activity. — Matt Blitz, Popular Mechanics, "How GPS Changed the Way We Think About Our Planet," 18 Apr. 2017 At plate boundaries in the ocean, subduction moves water into the mantle, lowering the melting point of rock underneath the edges of continental plates. — Umair Irfan, Vox, "Volcanoes are awe-inspiring. Here are 7 things to know about them.," 11 May 2018 These volcanoes sit on the western edge of the Caribbean tectonic plate, along an active subduction zone. — Laura Geggel, Scientific American, "Lava and Ash from Fuego Volcano Kills 33 in Guatemala," 4 June 2018 The region is the location of most of Earth's subduction zones, where oceanic plates slide under the lighter continental plates. — Travis Fedschun, Fox News, "California fault line is 'tectonic time bomb' for disastrous earthquake, researchers say," 22 Apr. 2018 In subduction, one large section of the earth — a plate — slides slowly under another, as the earth’s surface recycles itself over geologic time. — Henry Fountain, New York Times, "For Tsunami Forecasters, Speed Is Everything," 23 Jan. 2018 The region is the location of most of Earth's subduction zones, where oceanic plates slide under the lighter continental plates. — Travis Fedschun, Fox News, "California fault line is 'tectonic time bomb' for disastrous earthquake, researchers say," 22 Apr. 2018

These 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.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about subduction

Dictionary Entries near subduction

Statistics for subduction

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for subduction

The first known use of subduction was in 1970

See more words from the same year

Comments on subduction

What made you want to look up subduction? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

WORD OF THE DAY

boilerplate

standardized text or formulaic language

Test Your Vocabulary

Finance Words Quiz

The etymology of mortgage is related most closely to which two words?

Name That Thing

Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!

TAKE THE QUIZ

Word Winder's CrossWinder

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ