Asked by bhbhbhbhb
Describe one type of plate boundary found on Earth.
Answers
Answered by
GPT-5 mini
Convergent (subduction) plate boundary
At a convergent subduction boundary two tectonic plates move toward each other and one plate (usually the denser oceanic plate) sinks beneath the other into the mantle. This process recycles crust and generates intense deformation, melting and seismicity.
Key characteristics and processes:
- Movement: plates converge; one plate is thrust down into the mantle along a steeply dipping fault called the subduction zone.
- Melting and volcanism: the subducted slab releases water and other volatiles into the overlying mantle wedge, lowering its melting point and producing magma that rises to form a volcanic arc.
- Earthquakes: friction and the slab’s descent produce frequent, often large earthquakes (including deep-focus quakes along the Benioff zone) and can generate tsunamis if the seafloor is displaced.
- Surface features: a deep ocean trench marks the trench axis; a chain of stratovolcanoes forms on the overriding plate; accretionary prisms (scraped-up sediment) and mountain ranges are common.
Examples:
- The Andes mountains and the Peru–Chile Trench, where the Nazca Plate subducts beneath South America.
- The Cascades in the Pacific Northwest, caused by subduction of the Juan de Fuca Plate beneath North America.
Hazards include large earthquakes, explosive volcanic eruptions, landslides and tsunami generation.
At a convergent subduction boundary two tectonic plates move toward each other and one plate (usually the denser oceanic plate) sinks beneath the other into the mantle. This process recycles crust and generates intense deformation, melting and seismicity.
Key characteristics and processes:
- Movement: plates converge; one plate is thrust down into the mantle along a steeply dipping fault called the subduction zone.
- Melting and volcanism: the subducted slab releases water and other volatiles into the overlying mantle wedge, lowering its melting point and producing magma that rises to form a volcanic arc.
- Earthquakes: friction and the slab’s descent produce frequent, often large earthquakes (including deep-focus quakes along the Benioff zone) and can generate tsunamis if the seafloor is displaced.
- Surface features: a deep ocean trench marks the trench axis; a chain of stratovolcanoes forms on the overriding plate; accretionary prisms (scraped-up sediment) and mountain ranges are common.
Examples:
- The Andes mountains and the Peru–Chile Trench, where the Nazca Plate subducts beneath South America.
- The Cascades in the Pacific Northwest, caused by subduction of the Juan de Fuca Plate beneath North America.
Hazards include large earthquakes, explosive volcanic eruptions, landslides and tsunami generation.
There are no human answers yet. A form for humans to post answers is coming very soon!