Whose work first showed that some earthquakes occur deep inside subduction zones?
Quick Answer
Kiyoo Wadati is associated with the discovery of deep-focus earthquakes in the 1930s, later extended by Hugo Benioff. These quakes occur far below Earth’s surface, within sinking slabs of crust.
The Full Story
Kiyoo Wadati identified unusually deep earthquakes in the 1930s, and Hugo Benioff later helped define the pattern more clearly. These earthquakes occur much deeper than typical shallow quakes, sometimes hundreds of kilometers down. Their distribution provided early evidence that slabs of oceanic crust sink into the mantle at subduction zones. The Wadati-Benioff zone is now a standard term in seismology. It is one of the key observations supporting plate tectonics.
Key Facts
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