island arc

English

Noun

island arc (plural island arcs)

1. (geology) A long chain of active volcanoes with intense seismic activity found along convergent tectonic plate boundaries.
   • 2012, Chinle Miller, “The Tectonic Forces of the Mesozoic”, in In Mesozoic Lands: The Mesozoic Geology of Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, Kindle edition, page 34:

     Offshore to the west of the continental margin during the Early Triassic, the Sonoma highlands formed a volcanic island arc, separated from the mainland by a shallow sea that cut through western Nevada and northwestern Utah.

Island arc development.