Trenches & Transforms

Tuesday, June 30, 2020

Trenches and transforms represent two of the primary plate boundaries present in the ocean basins. These boundaries are distinctive in that they form some of the deepest parts of the ocean basins, in many cases extending beyond abyssal to hadal depths. At convergent margins, trenches form in response to subduction oceanic lithosphere. These are critical zones for large scale chemical cycling between the exterior and interior of the planet. In addition, they present unique chemosynthetic ecosystems, as crustal fluids are expelled through the seabed. Familiar and unique, pressure-tolerant organisms occupy these sites. At transform margins, fracture zones form that expose the oceanic crust and upper mantle. These fracture zones can host fluid circulation and are hypothesized to form physiographic barriers to the dispersal of benthic organisms. This workshop seeks to refine the trans-disciplinary questions and approaches to science at oceanic trenches and transforms.

Don't forget to sign up for the workshop Slack channel.