Subduction is possible because the cold and rigid oceanic lithosphere is slightly denser than the underlying asthenosphere, the hot, ductile layer in the upper mantle. Once initiated, stable …

Subduction zone, oceanic trench area marginal to a continent in which, according to the theory of plate tectonics, older and denser seafloor underthrusts the continental mass, dragging …

Sep 7, 2020 · 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.

Mar 6, 2018 · 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 …

Mar 11, 2025 · Subduction zones are responsible for powerful earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic activity, making them some of the most geologically active and hazardous areas on …

Sep 6, 2022 · When two tectonic plates meet at a subduction zone and one slides underneath the other, this lithosphere material curves down into the hot mantle. This subduction process …

A subduction zone is a region of the Earth's crust where two tectonic plates meet, and one plate is forced beneath the other into the mantle. This process, called subduction, occurs at …