Mariana Plate
My Blogs (olelog) are mainly based on my daily reading of earth science news. Here on whatonearth.olehnielsen.dk I try to weave some of the pieces together to a greater whole with added background info.

The Mariana Trench is better known than the Mariana Plate. The Mariana Trench is the deepest known submarine trench (maximum depth of 10.9 km), and the deepest location in the Earth's crust itself. It is located to the east and south of the Mariana Islands. From the deep Mariana trench to a depth of about 100 km the Pacific plate is subducted at a gentle angle. From about 100 to 680 km the plate is subducted at a near vertical angle. To the norch the deep sea trench continues in the Bonin trench and further north in yhe japan trench. The Mariana trench must not be confused with the Mariana Trough to the west of the island arc. The Mariana Trough is an active back-arc basin.

The Mariana Islands are a volcanic island arc above the subduction zone where the Pacific Plate is subducted beneath the Mariana Plate. The Mariana plate is often considered part of the Philippine Sea plate, it is separated from the (rest of the) Philippine Sea plate by a back-arc spreading ridge. Back-arc spreading is thought to be taking place due to plate subduction, however it is not necessarily common tectonic phenomenon at all subduction zones.

The Mariana Trough is an actively opening backarc basin. The trough formed by extension which longitudinally split an earlier arc massif creating a crescent-shaped basin between the remnant West Mariana Ridge and eastern active volcanoes of the Mariana Arc.

Mariana plate treated in Olelog

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