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Earth is splitting open beneath the Pacific Northwest

For the first time, scientists have seen a subduction zone actively breaking apart beneath the Pacific Northwest. Seismic data show the oceanic plate tearing into fragments, forming microplates in a slow, step-by-step collapse. This process, once only theorized, explains mysterious fossil plates found elsewhere and offers new clues about earthquake risks. The dying subduction zone is revealing Earth’s tectonic life cycle in real time.

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