What is a subduction simple definition?

What is a subduction simple definition?

: the action or process in plate tectonics of the edge of one crustal plate descending below the edge of another.

What is subduction in science?

When tectonic plates converge, one plate slides beneath the other plate, or subducts, descending into the Earth’s mantle at rates of 2-8 centimeters (1–3 inches) per year.

What is subduction and what causes it?

Subduction occurs when two plates collide at a convergent boundary, and one plate is driven beneath the other, back into the Earth’s interior. When an oceanic plate collides with a continental plate, the denser oceanic plate is bent downward and slides under the edge of the continent.

What is subduction in the earth?

(Image credit: USGS.) A subduction zone is the biggest crash scene on Earth. These boundaries mark the collision between two of the planet’s tectonic plates. At a subduction zone, the oceanic crust usually sinks into the mantle beneath lighter continental crust.

How does subduction start?

Subduction zones form where two plates converge and one begins sliding under the other. As old lithosphere is recycled back into the mantle at subduction zones and new lithosphere is formed at spreading centers, the balance of lithosphere on Earth remains relatively constant.

What are the three types of subduction?

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

What causes subduction?

Subduction is a process in geology where one tectonic plates slides underneath another one and merges into the Earth’s mantle. The plate that slips under does not stay that way. Due to the heat caused by it rubbing against the other plate as well as the natural heat of the mantle, the plate melts and turns into magma.

What causes a subduction zone?

Subduction zones happen where plates collide. When two tectonic plates meet it is like the immovable object meeting the unstoppable force. However tectonic plates decide it by mass. The more massive plate, normally a continental will force the other plate, an oceanic plate down beneath it.

What are the four major features of a subduction zone?

Terms in this set (20)

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

What happens next when there is subduction?

The mantle underneath the lithosphere is hot, fluid rock. When one plate sinks into it during subduction, it melts into the mantle. New plates form at tectonic boundaries that are diverging. At these boundaries, usually under the ocean, two plates pull apart and magma wells up and hardens, forming new rock and crust.

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.

Does subduction cause volcanoes?

A subduction zone forms when continental crust and oceanic crust collide. Subduction zones produce volcanic arcs, curving chains of steep-sided volcanoes, for example the Aleutian Islands in Alaska. Volcanoes associated with subduction zones generally have steep sides and erupt explosively.

What are some facts about subduction?

Kids Encyclopedia Facts. Subduction is when two tectonic plates meet. One of the plates is pushed under the other into the Earth’s mantle. Subduction causes the most powerful earthquakes in the world. Earthquakes caused by subduction can lead to tsunamis. Areas where subduction occurs are called subduction zones.

Which best describes subduction?

Subduction, Latin for “carried under,” is a term used for a specific type of plate interaction. It happens when one lithospheric plate meets another—that is, in convergent zones —and the denser plate sinks down into the mantle.

What does subduction result in?

The process of subduction results in the formation of a zone called a subduction zone. The plate that bends usually curves down into the mantle. After curving, it forms a v-shaped zone in the ocean that is very narrow.

What are the steps of subduction?

Step 1 Two plates collide or converge Step 2 The more dense plate sinks beneath the less dense plate Step 3 The edge of the subduction plate melts due to the friction, creating magma Step 4 The magma rises through the cracks in the crust above it Step 5 Volcanoes are formed YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE… 5th grade science: 5 steps for convection currents…