Tag: subduction zone
Slab: what is it?
“Slab” is the term used to refer to the sinking plate in the context of subduction. A subduction zone is defined by the convergence of two tectonic plates, with an…
How fast do the continents move?
We are not aware of it, but the tectonic plates move slowly under our feet, at the speed of a few centimeters per year, driven by major tectonic and convective…
50 million years ago, the Pacific plate suddenly changed direction. Why ?
In the Pacific, the route of the Hawaii-Emperor volcanic chain has long been used as an indisputable witness to the movement of tectonic plates. However, it shows that a major…
Accretion prism: what is it?
A prism ofaccretion represents a structure of tectonic origin linked to the accumulation of sediments at the level of a subduction. Scaling and sediment build-up In subduction zones, the oceanic…
How a continent opened up influences the location of future subduction zones
A new study provides a better understanding of where and how subduction zones are initiated, a major stage in the Wilson cycle. It appears that the tectonic and magmatic heritage…