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What is the geological process of subduction?
In geological terms, subduction is the act of one tectonic plate moving under another tectonic plate at the point of their convergent boundary. As the subducting plate moves under its neighboring tectonic plate, gravity pushes it further down and into the mantle layer of the earth.
What occurs during subduction?
Where two tectonic plates meet at a subduction zone, one bends and slides underneath the other, curving down into the mantle. (The mantle is the hotter layer under the crust.) At a subduction zone, the oceanic crust usually sinks into the mantle beneath lighter continental crust.
What natural disasters happen at subduction zones?
The most powerful earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, and landslides occur in subduction zones where tectonic plates collide and one plate is thrust beneath another.
How A subduction zone is formed?
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 type of landforms does subduction cause?
Various formations such as mountain ranges, islands, and trenches are caused by subduction and the volcanoes and earthquakes it triggers. In addition to causing earthquakes, subduction can also trigger tsunamis. When the older plate is holding a continent however, it does not sink, which is reassuring.
What is an example of a subduction zone?
Examples of Subduction Zones An example of a series of islands that formed from a genuine subduction zone is the Aleutian Islands, positioned near the border between two oceanic plates. Another example of a subduction zone would be the one that formed the Cascade Volcanoes in Oregon, Washington, and Western Canada.
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 can form at a subduction zone?
Oceanic trenches are formed at subduction zones. Oceanic plates meet continental plates in the water, so trenches are formed as the oceanic plate goes under the continental plate.
What is the subduction zone easy definition?
The subduction zone is the place where two lithospheric plates come together, one riding over the other. Most volcanoes on land occur parallel to and inland from the boundary between the two plates.
How often does subduction occur on a tectonic plate?
Subduction occurs very slowly. In fact, geologists have identified the average rate of convergence at between 2 and 8 centimeters per year. This speed is slow enough that subduction often goes unnoticed. Although tectonic plates may be oceanic or continental, the act of subduction (sliding under another plate) only happens to oceanic plates.
What are the most common events in subduction zones?
Introduction to Subduction Zones: Amazing Events in Subduction Zones 1 Subduction. 2 Giant Earthquakes. 3 Other More Frequent Smaller Earthquakes. 4 Inundating Tsunamis. 5 Land-level Changes over Vast Areas. 6 Erupting Volcanoes. 7 Abundant Landslides. 8 More Educational Resources
How does subduction affect the mantle of the Earth?
In geological terms, subduction is the act of one tectonic plate moving under another tectonic plate at the point of their convergent boundary. As the subducting plate moves under its neighboring tectonic plate, gravity pushes it further down and into the mantle layer of the earth.
Because subduction zones are typically located along coastlines, the resulting earthquakes caused by the tectonic plate movement often cause tsunami waves to ravage coastal environments and urban settlements. This wave activity occurs because earthquakes cause the crust of the earth to snap and rebound.