In geology, a deep depression or trough in the ocean floor that forms in front of a subduction zone where tectonic plates meet.
From 'fore-' + 'deep' (Old English 'deop'). The term is a technical geological formation name combining directional and depth terminology.
Foredeeps are where the deepest trenches on Earth form—the Mariana Trench is essentially a massive foredeep, and they're where some of the planet's most violent earthquakes and volcanic activity occur.
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