Aleutian Trench


The Aleutian Trench is an oceanic trench along a convergent plate boundary which runs along the southern coastline of Alaska and the Aleutian islands. The trench extends for from a triple junction in the west with the Ulakhan Fault and the northern end of the Kuril–Kamchatka Trench, to a junction with the northern end of the Queen Charlotte Fault system in the east. It is classified as a "marginal trench" in the east as it runs along the margin of the continent. The subduction along the trench gives rise to the Aleutian Arc, a volcanic island arc, where it runs through the open sea west of the Alaska Peninsula. As a convergent plate boundary, the trench forms part of the boundary between two tectonic plates. Here, the Pacific Plate is being subducted under the North American Plate at a dip angle of nearly 45°. The rate of closure is per year.

Trench morphology

The north side of the trench slopes 3°–4° and the south side 1°–4°. The deepest part of the Aleutian trench has been measured at at 51.21°N, 174.83°E., located about SSW of Buldir Island.
Center pressure:. Variations in total magnetic intensity of more than 600 γ were found in the center of the trench and more than 1100 γ on the southern flank.

Associated seismicity

The subduction of the Pacific Plate below the North American Plate along the Aleutian Trench is associated with numerous earthquakes. Several of these earthquakes are notable for their size and/or associated tsunamis.