Kings Trough (sometimes spelled King's Trough) is an undersea

trough Trough may refer to: In science * Trough (geology), a long depression less steep than a trench * Trough (meteorology), an elongated region of low atmospheric pressure * Trough (physics), the lowest point on a wave * Trough level (medicine), th ...

in the

North Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe a ...

. It is located on the east side of the

Mid-Atlantic Ridge The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is a mid-ocean ridge (a divergent or constructive plate boundary) located along the floor of the Atlantic Ocean, and part of the longest mountain range in the world. In the North Atlantic, the ridge separates the North A ...

, northwest of the Açores-Biscay Rise and roughly north-northeast of the

Azores ) , motto= ( en, "Rather die free than subjected in peace") , anthem=( en, "Anthem of the Azores") , image_map=Locator_map_of_Azores_in_EU.svg , map_alt=Location of the Azores within the European Union , map_caption=Location of the Azores wi ...

. It is approximately long, running in a northwest–southeast direction. To the east it branches into the Peake Deep and Freen Deep. The center depth is . Surrounding the trough are high ridges and seamounts, such as the Antialtair Seamount and the Crumb Seamount complex. Various explanations for the complex have been suggested, ranging from

compression Compression may refer to: Physical science *Compression (physics), size reduction due to forces *Compression member, a structural element such as a column *Compressibility, susceptibility to compression *Gas compression *Compression ratio, of a c ...

, a former

plate boundary Plate tectonics (from the la, label=Late Latin, tectonicus, from the grc, τεκτονικός, lit=pertaining to building) is the generally accepted scientific theory that considers the Earth's lithosphere to comprise a number of large t ...

transform fault A transform fault or transform boundary, is a fault along a plate boundary where the motion is predominantly horizontal. It ends abruptly where it connects to another plate boundary, either another transform, a spreading ridge, or a subducti ...

ing or even an oblique

meteor impact An impact event is a collision between astronomical objects causing measurable effects. Impact events have physical consequences and have been found to regularly occur in planetary systems, though the most frequent involve asteroids, comets or ...

. The trough, being in an apparently geologically stable region, has been studied as a possible location for

radioactive waste disposal Radioactive waste disposal may refer to: *High-level radioactive waste management * Low-level waste disposal *Ocean disposal of radioactive waste From 1946 through 1993, thirteen countries used ocean disposal or ocean dumping as a method to dispose ...

.Kidd, R.B., Searle, R.C., Weaver, P.P.E., Jacobs, C.L., Huggett, Q.J., Noel, M.J. and Schultheiss, P.J. (1983) King's Trough Flank: geological and geophysical investigations of its suitability for high-level radioactive waste disposal. Wormley, UK, Institute of Oceanographic Sciences, 99pp. (Institute of Oceanographic Sciences Report,(166)) http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/14583/

References

Oceanic trenches of the Atlantic Ocean Mid-Atlantic Ridge {{marine-geo-stub