Diagram of Wadati-Benioff zone, from the United States Geological Survey

A Wadati-Benioff zone (also Benioff-Wadati zone or Benioff zone) is a deep active seismic area in a subduction zone. The United States Geological Survey ( USGS) is a scientific agency of the United States government. Seismology (from Greek grc σεισμός seismos, "earthquake" and grc -λογία -logia) is the scientific study of Earthquakes In Geology, a subduction zone is an area on Earth where two tectonic plates meet and move towards one another with one sliding underneath the other Differential motion along the zone produces deep-seated earthquakes, the foci of which may be as deep as about 700 kilometres (435 miles). An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth 's crust that creates Seismic waves Earthquakes are recorded with a Seismometer The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States They develop beneath volcanic island arcs and continental margins above active subduction zones. Plate tectonics and hotspots Divergent plate boundaries At the A volcanic arc is a chain of volcanic islands or Mountains formed by Plate tectonics as an oceanic Tectonic plate subducts under The deep earthquakes along the zone allow seismologists to map the three-dimensional surface of a subducting slab of oceanic crust and mantle. Oceanic crust is the part of Earth's Lithosphere that surfaces in the Ocean basins The mantle is a part of an Astronomical object. The interior of the Earth, similar to the other Terrestrial planets, is Chemically divided The angle of dip of the zone is the same as that of the subducting slab. Strike and dip refer to the orientation or attitude of a Geologic feature

The term was named for the two seismologists, Hugo Benioff of the California Institute of Technology, and Kiyoo Wadati of the Japan Meteorological Agency who independently discovered the zones. Seismology (from Greek grc σεισμός seismos, "earthquake" and grc -λογία -logia) is the scientific study of Earthquakes Hugo Benioff (1899-1968 was a Seismologist and a Professor at the California Institute of Technology. The California Institute of Technology (commonly referred to as Caltech) is a private, Coeducational research university located in Pasadena Professor Kiyoo Wadati (和達清夫 was an early Seismologist at the Central Meteorological Observatory of Japan, researching deep ( Subduction zone The or JMA, is the Japanese government's Weather service Charged with gathering and reporting weather data and forecasts in Japan it is a semi-autonomous

See also

• Subduction