The Enterprise is pulled into a subspace distortion
A subspace distortion, subspace disturbance, or subspace deformation is a warp in the fabric of space. Subspace distortions could be caused by spacecraft utilizing warp drive, or by other, more exotic phenomenon. A cochrane was the mathematical unit for measuring subspace distortion, named after Zefram Cochrane, the inventor of warp drive on Earth. (DS9: "A Time to Stand"; Star Trek: First Contact) The phase fluctuations in subspace fields were in turn known as cochrane distortions. (TNG: "Ménage à Troi")
In 2154, CommandersTucker and T'Pol of Enterprise NX-01 detected a subspace distortion while searching for a stolen Klingon Bird-of-Prey. Although there was no sign of a warp trail, they surmised that Arik Soong, the Human who had stolen the Bird-of-Prey, had developed a way to mask it. (ENT: "The Augments")
Later that year, Travis Mayweather detected a massive subspace distortion, caused by twelve Vulcan cruisers which had been sent by the Vulcan High Command to launch an invasion of Andoria. (ENT: "Kir'Shara")
In 2367, USS Enterprise-DengineerReginald Barclay, under the influence of a Cytherian probe, was able to alter the fabric of subspace using an emanation of a highly-charged graviton field from the vessel's warp nacelles. A severe bias was created in the subspace continuum as the subspace distortion increased. Taking the Enterprise-D into the graviton field disturbance, he successfully transported the ship to the center of the galaxy, where the Enterprise-D made first contact with the Cytherians. After ten days of exchanging information, the Cytherians returned the Enterprise-D to Federation space. (TNG: "The Nth Degree")
In 2368, a series of quantum filaments caused subspace distortions which left the Enterprise-D powerless drifting in space. (TNG: "Disaster")
Trionic initiators in warp coils were known to unintentionally produce warp bubbles and other subspace deformations when they were adjusted. Such initiators were used on the USS Hera. (TNG: "Interface")
A subspace vacuole was a form of subspace distortion. (VOY: "Emanations")
By identifying the "very interesting ion trail" without any subspace distortions in its wake, CaptainKathryn Janeway was able to tell that Tuvok was lying. (VOY: "Cathexis")
In 2372, ChiefO'Brien detected a big subspace disturbance when the cloakedKlingontask force set course for Cardassia Prime in order to invade the Cardassian Empire. (DS9: "The Way of the Warrior")
