Subduction – Accessible Science Graphics Collection

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Subduction is a key geological process where one tectonic plate sinks beneath another into the Earth’s mantle, usually at convergent plate boundaries. It drives mountain building, earthquakes, and volcanic activity, shaping Earth’s surface and its deep interior over Millions of years. Subduction zones recycle oceanic crust, are critically driving plate tectonics, and influence global climate through carbon cycling. Famous observables related to subduction include the Mariana Trench and the Andes Mountains. Dive into observables and models of subduction, the critical process that makes our planet so different from all others we know!

Visually accessible and scientifically accurate global map of key plate tectonics characteristics on the Earth. Graphic by Fabio Crameri.

Plate tectonic Earth map

Visually accessible and scientifically accurate global map of key plate tectonics characteristics on the Earth.

Conceptual illustration for the basic forces and mantle flow pattern around subduction zones.

Subduction forces and flow pattern

Conceptual illustration for the basic forces and mantle flow pattern around subduction zones.

The number of subduction-zone initiation (SZI) events that fulfil specific aspects versus the total number of 13 SZI events from the SZI Database (Crameri et al. 2020) diagnosed.

Subduction zone initiation statistics

The number of subduction-zone initiation (SZI) events that fulfil specific aspects versus the total number of 13 SZI events from the SZI Database (Crameri et al. 2020) diagnosed.

Some of the subduction-zone initiation (SZI) events that occurred during the last 120 million years indicated in space and time according to the SZI Database by Crameri et al. (2020).

Subduction zone initiation events

Some of the subduction-zone initiation (SZI) events that occurred during the last 120 million years indicated in space and time according to the SZI Database by Crameri et al. (2020).

Subduction zone initiation (SZI) reconstructions for selected events since around 100 Ma. The reconstructed events are based on the whole Earth Sciences community point-of-view of the SZI database.

Subduction zone initiation reconstructions

Subduction zone initiation (SZI) reconstructions for selected events since around 100 Ma. The reconstructed events are based on the whole Earth Sciences community point-of-view of the SZI database.

Schematic tectonic reconstruction of the Halmahera SZI event (modified from Hall, 1996 and Hall and Smyth, 2008). Subduction of the Molucca Sea plate started close to a transform boundary, initiating the new Halmahera subduction zone. Shown are the new subduction zone (pink line), other active subduction zones (solid purple lines), and transform faults (red dashed lines).

Halmahera (East Molucca) subduction zone initiation

The Halmahera SZI event is suggested to have occurred at ~15 Ma, which is still controversial, possibly through episodic subduction.

Schematic tectonic reconstruction of the Aleutian SZI event (modified from Domeier et al., 2017). The collision of the Olutorsky arc with the trench of the south-dipping subduction of the Eurasia plate below the Pacific Plate is suggested to have caused a flip in subduction polarity, initiating the new Aleutian subduction zone. Shown are the new subduction zone (pink line), other active (solid purple lines) and inactive (dashed purple lines) subduction zones, spreading ridges (solid red lines), and transform faults (red dashed lines).

Aleutian subduction zone initiation

The Aleutian subduction zone initiation event formed today’s Aleutian trench, occurred at around 53 Ma through subduction polarity reversal.

Schematic tectonic reconstruction of the Tonga-Kermadec SZI event (modified from Whattam et al., 2008). The collision of the Papua New Guinea continental block with the Loyalty-Three Kings trench is suggested to have caused a flip in subduction polarity, initiating the new Tonga-Kermadec subduction zone, possibly exploiting a weakness due to the presence of an old subduction zone. Shown are the new subduction zone (pink line), other active (solid purple lines) and inactive (dashed purple lines) subduction zones, and spreading ridges (solid red lines).

Tonga-Kermadec subduction zone initiation

The Tonga-Kermadec subduction zone initiated likely due to a subduction-polarity reversal at around 50 Ma.

Schematic tectonic reconstruction of the Sunda-Java SZI event (modified from Hall, 2012). Subduction of the Indo-Australian plate at the Sundaland margin has been episodically ongoing since >100 Ma. The most recent episode occurred at ca. 40–60 Ma and it initiated the new Sunda-Java subduction zone. Shown are the new subduction zone (pink line), other active (solid purple lines) and inactive (dashed purple lines) subduction zones, spreading ridges (solid red lines), and transform faults (red dashed lines).

Sunda-Java subduction zone initiation

The Sunda-Java SZI event might have re-started subduction at the southern margin of Sundaland at around 60–40 Ma.

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