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Earth and Space Sciences · Glossary

What is Wadati–Benioff zone?

Also known as: Wadati--Benioff zone

Definition 15.2 High School Earth and Space Sciences · Chapter 15 — Subduction Zones

A Wadati–Benioff zone is the inclined band of earthquakes that starts at a trench and goes deeper and deeper beneath the overriding plate, down to as much as about 700 km700\,\mathrm{km}.

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Definition 14.3 University Earth and Space Sciences — Year 1 · Chapter 14 — Active Margins

A Wadati–Benioff zone is the inclined zone of earthquakes that starts near a trench and deepens beneath the overriding plate, down to as much as about 700 km700\,\mathrm{km}: it outlines the subducting slab.

The Kuril subduction zone: earthquakes of magnitude 5 or more, 1976–2025, coloured by depth, and the volcanoes active in the last ten thousand years. The trench (teeth on the overriding plate) and the band of the section shown in the next figure (dashed, 150\, km on each side of the section line). Data: USGS earthquake catalogue; Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program; trench from Bird (2003); coast from Natural Earth.
The Kuril subduction zone: earthquakes of magnitude 5 or more, 1976–2025, coloured by depth, and the volcanoes active in the last ten thousand years. The trench (teeth on the overriding plate) and the band of the section shown in the next figure (dashed, 150 km150\,\mathrm{km} on each side of the section line). Data: USGS earthquake catalogue; Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program; trench from Bird (2003); coast from Natural Earth.
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