Water in a Subduction Zone (IMAGE) University of Utah Caption This illustration shows a cross section of the Earth beneath New Zealand's South Island. This is one of the planet’s youngest subduction zones, where the Pacific Plate collides with the Australian Plate and "subducts" or dives beneath it. The illustration, based on actual data from a University of Utah study, shows five places where water (lime green, yellow and reddish colors) is rising from the subduction zone to help pave the way for earthquakes, either by triggering quakes on steep thrust faults (far left), accommodating the motion of strike-slip faults like the Alpine fault and other faults (center and right) or by creating new faults or widening them (far right). Credit Philip Wannamaker and Doug Jensen, University of Utah. Usage Restrictions None License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.