How does a subduction zone occur?

Where two tectonic plates converge, if one or both of the plates is oceanic lithosphere, a subduction zone will form. An oceanic plate will sink back into the mantle. But as it spreads away from the ridge and cools and contracts (becomse denser) it is able to sink into the hotter underlying mantle.

What is subduction what happens when it occurs?

Subduction is a geological process in which the oceanic lithosphere is recycled into the Earth’s mantle at convergent boundaries. Where the oceanic lithosphere of a tectonic plate converges with the less dense lithosphere of a second plate, the heavier plate dives beneath the second plate and sinks into the mantle.

What event is occurring at a subduction zone?

These plates collide, slide past, and move apart from each other. Where they collide and one plate is thrust beneath another (a subduction zone), the most powerful earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, and landslides occur.

What is an example of a subduction zone?

An oceanic plate can descend beneath another oceanic plate – Japan, Indonesia, and the Aleutian Islands are examples of this type of subduction. Subduction zones are marked by a deep sea trench – where the lithosphere bends downward – and a parallel chain of volcanoes.

What are the three types of subduction zones?

Types of subduction zones Oceanic-oceanic plate collision, subduction and formation of an island arc.

What is subduction zone simple definition?

A tectonic process in which one tectonic plate is forced beneath another and sinks into the mantle as the plates converge.

What are the four major features of a subduction zone?

List the four major features of subduction zones….Terms in this set (30)

• Oceanic lithosphere goes under the oceanic plate.
• Scraped sediments accumulate on upper plates.
• Igneous and metamorphic rocks form mountainous topography.

Why do earthquakes occur in subduction zones?

Why do so many earthquakes originate in this region? The belt exists along boundaries of tectonic plates, where plates of mostly oceanic crust are sinking (or subducting) beneath another plate. Earthquakes in these subduction zones are caused by slip between plates and rupture within plates.

What are the 2 types of subduction zones?

Features & Location of Subduction Zones There are two kinds: oceanic plates and continental plates. Oceanic plates are, unsurprisingly, underneath the oceans.

What is another word for subduction?

What is another word for subduction?

subtraction	deduction
taking away	lessening
markdown	rollback
knock-off	abstraction
discounting	docking

What is another name for convergent plate boundaries?

A convergent boundary (also known as a destructive boundary) is an area on Earth where two or more lithospheric plates collide. One plate eventually slides beneath the other, a process known as subduction. The subduction zone can be defined by a plane where many earthquakes occur, called the Wadati–Benioff zone.

What are the features of a subduction zone?

The main features of subduction zones include ocean trenches, volcanoes, and mountains. Earthquakes also happen as a result of these collisions. When two continental plates collide, the land is broken and pushed upwards, creating mountain ranges.

Where are subduction zones likely to form?

Subduction zones are likely to form between converging oceanic and continental plates.

What are subduction zones associated with?

Subduction zones are associated with regions where two plates are moving towards each other, and the crust of the earth is shortened. An example is where the western edge of South America meets the Pacific Ocean . In this case, the collision is between a continental plate and an oceanic plate,…

What are some subduction zones?

There are 2 main types of subduction zones: Oceanic-oceanic plate boundaries: If the subducting plate subducts beneath an adjacent oceanic plate, anisland arc is formed. Examples include theAleutians, the Kuriles , Japan, and the Philippines, all located at the northern and western borders of the Pacific plate .

What landforms form at subduction zones?

They are constantly shifting and moving, so when they subduct, one pushes beneath the other. These zones create geologic formations such as mountain ranges, ocean trenches, and island arcs, as well as phenomena like earthquakes and volcanoes.