Japan Trench

[ juh-pan trench ]

noun

1. an oceanic trench off northeastern Japan, created by the subduction of the Pacific Plate beneath the Okhotsk Plate, the continuous movement of which is a significant factor in the generation of earthquakes and tsunamis in northern Japan: part of the Pacific Ring of Fire.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Japan Trench¹

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

Experts believe that the quake was caused by the rupture of a stretch of the subduction zone associated with the Japan Trench, which separates the Eurasian Plate from the downward-sliding Pacific Plate.

From BBC

Until this expedition, the deepest fish had been found in the Japan Trench, also in the Pacific Ocean.

From BBC

If towering tsunamis can also be produced by collapses along the Japan Trench, he says, the chance of anticipating the next one is nearly impossible.

From Science Magazine

Today, scientists have located fresh offshore aquifers across the globe, from the continental shelf off New Jersey to the Japan Trench.

From Scientific American

The Japan Trench Fast Drilling Project rapid response drilling expedition sought to sample and monitor the fault zone directly through a series of boreholes.

From Science Magazine