Which type of plate boundary has the deepest earthquakes?

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Question: Which type of plate boundary has the deepest earthquakes?
Option 1: Subduction. At subduction zones, one tectonic plate sinks beneath another and experiences earthquakes from the surface down into the mantle, including the deep Wadati-Benioff seismic zones that can extend to several hundred kilometers depth. This makes subduction the context in which the deepest earthquakes are observed.
Option 2: Transform. Transform boundaries involve sliding past one another horizontally (strike-slip motion) and typically produce shallow earthquakes near the fault plane, generally at relatively shallow depths. They do not account for deep seismicity.
Option 3: Divergent. Divergent boundaries are where plates pull apart, such as mid-ocean ridges, and earthquakes here are predominantly shallow as the crust is being created. Deep events are not characteristic of divergent boundaries.
Overall, the depth distribution of earthquakes strongly points to subduction zones as the setting for the deepest events, whereas transform and divergent boundaries produce much shallower seismicity.

GEO 1030-090 Fall 2025 GEO 1030-090 Final Exam

Which type of plate boundary has the deepest earthquakes?

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GEO 1030-090 Fall 2025 GEO 1030-090 Final Exam

Which type of plate boundary has the deepest earthquakes?

View Explanation

Log in for full answers

Similar Questions

During subduction:

The process of fracturing and movement of the outer layers of the Earth is called _____.

Transform boundaries occur where ____.​

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Transform boundaries occur where ____.