Talk:Cayman Trough

message: I'm not an expert on this subject (don't recall how this article got on my watchlist), but I wonder about the move from  "trench" to "trough".  A search on Google for both yields about 11,400 results for "Cayman Trench" vs. a paltry 638 for "Cayman Trough".  Admittedly, that's not the final arbiter of such things, but a ratio of 18 to 1 means something.  (It at least deserves an "also known as" mention!) -- Kbh3rd 16:50, 28 September 2005 (UTC)
replies: text: Didn't realize there was such a disparity on Google - a note to that effect would be in order. However, trenches are usually associated with subduction zone boundaries; whereas the Cayman is either a transform pull-apart trough or as the reference indicates, a spreading center or developing? ridge system. Vsmith 17:06, 28 September 2005 (UTC)

text: In Sept 2005, Google was not the "End-all" answer, and it still isn't today, And polling by concensus will not yield facts. Basic Geology presents the facts, as stated above by Vsmith, that the "Trench" is associated with the Subduction zones. What is important in studying Rocks, Mtns, or Mountain ranges, is that some "ancestral" trenches and mountains have been attached to their associated continental margins (NW North America, etc.). So obviously the Carman trough is not associated with any mountain ranges, subd. zones, and the volcanic mountains associtated with them. Just my comments.. --Mmcannis 03:28, 17 December 2006 (UTC)

text: I am no geologist, but from the above two comments I'll take their word that it may be geologically correct to call it a trough. However, as the original comment stated, I don't think there is any doubting that trench is the far more commonly used, and established name for this region.  Perhaps title this article the Cayman Trench, with a note along the lines of: the geological feature should properly be called a trough due to... Would everyone be happy? Sparky132 22:29, 11 January 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: No. Read the article carefully, the trough is a most complex area. During the Eocene the area was indeed a trench with its own subduction zone. But as the dynamics of the area changed the then trench became a transform fault zone with a pull-apart basin which is now an incipient spreading ridge in the middle of and almost at right angles to the trough. Geologically it is best termed a trough and the article is focused on geology. The article already notes the trench nomenclature. As for a google search: "Cayman trough" gets 9920 hits whereas "Cayman trench" gets 14,800 (note the " " were in the search to get a direct match). That is a bit more, but look at the quality of the hits: trough gets more scientific hits versus trench getting more general hits. Interesting to note that the Wikipedia article is the first link returned on both searches. Verdict from my view: leave as is. Vsmith 02:14, 12 January 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Trough ''vs.'' Trench 

message: "The Abyss" in the film of the same name was referred to in the film as the Cayman Trough.
This article is linked from The Abyss. Not sure whether it would be worth a link back.
119.18.0.66 (talk) 07:58, 22 October 2016 (UTC)
thread_title:  Reference to The Abyss (film)