Question

Which of the following describes how and where a trench forms in a plate tectonic setting?
A.
A trench results from subduction and forms on the ocean floor where the two plates meet.
B.
A trench results from rifting and forms outside the rift on whichever plate is lower in elevation.
C.
A trench results from rifting and forms outside the rift on whichever plate is higher in elevation.
D.
A trench results from subduction and forms in the volcanic arc on the overriding plate.

Answers

GPT-4o mini
The correct answer is:

**A. A trench results from subduction and forms on the ocean floor where the two plates meet.**

In a subduction zone, one tectonic plate moves under another and is forced into the mantle, creating a trench in the ocean floor at the point where the two plates converge.