What happens to the oceanic plate during a convergent ocean-continent boundary?

What happens to the oceanic plate during a convergent ocean-continent boundary?

• A. It rises above the continental plate
• B. It subducts beneath the continental plate
• C. It remains stationary
• D. It melts completely

Answer: (B)

During a convergent ocean-continent boundary, the oceanic plate is denser and thinner than the continental plate, which is thicker and less dense. As the two plates converge, the oceanic plate does not simply rise above the continental plate due to its density. Instead, it undergoes a process known as subduction. In this process, the oceanic plate is forced downward into the mantle beneath the continental plate, creating a subduction zone. This subduction can lead to geological phenomena such as the formation of deep ocean trenches and volcanic arcs on the continent. The movement of the oceanic plate into the mantle can also result in partial melting due to the increase in temperature and pressure, but it does not mean that the plate melts completely. Thus, the correct answer reflects the fundamental mechanism of plate interactions at convergent boundaries, emphasizing the behavior of oceanic plates in relation to continental plates.

During a convergent ocean-continent boundary, the oceanic plate is denser and thinner than the continental plate, which is thicker and less dense. As the two plates converge, the oceanic plate does not simply rise above the continental plate due to its density. Instead, it undergoes a process known as subduction.

In this process, the oceanic plate is forced downward into the mantle beneath the continental plate, creating a subduction zone. This subduction can lead to geological phenomena such as the formation of deep ocean trenches and volcanic arcs on the continent. The movement of the oceanic plate into the mantle can also result in partial melting due to the increase in temperature and pressure, but it does not mean that the plate melts completely.

Thus, the correct answer reflects the fundamental mechanism of plate interactions at convergent boundaries, emphasizing the behavior of oceanic plates in relation to continental plates.