trench
geomorphology
Quick Summary
A deep-sea trench is a long, narrow, and steep-sided depression on the ocean floor, reaching depths of 7,300 to over 11,000 meters. These trenches typically form where one tectonic plate subducts, or slides beneath, another. The deepest known is the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean. Trenches are often found parallel to island arcs or continental mountain ranges and are associated with subduction zones and significant earthquakes. The longest is the Peru-Chile Trench along the coast of South America.1
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