On the surface, subduction zones manifest as oceanic trenches, the deepest of which is the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean. One notable feature of many trenches is their outer rise, a shallow bulge on the outskirts of the trench that forms as the subducting plate compresses and kinks. This compression and deformation can result in the formation of faults. These “cracks” in the seafloor are an important vector for delivering water to the mantle at subduction zones. However, high-resolution details about the structure of outer rise faults have not yet been produced.
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Source: Phys.org