Which term describes the boundary where the oceanic plate sinks beneath the continental plate?

Which term describes the boundary where the oceanic plate sinks beneath the continental plate?

• A. Trench
• B. Subduction zone
• C. Mid-ocean ridge
• D. Transform boundary

Answer: (B)

The boundary where the oceanic plate sinks beneath the continental plate is a subduction zone. This happens because oceanic crust is more dense, so as the plates converge, the oceanic plate dives back into the mantle, marking the area where they interact. The subduction zone is the active boundary; a trench is a deep surface feature that forms along this boundary, not the boundary itself. Mid-ocean ridges occur at divergent boundaries where new crust is created, and transform boundaries involve plates sliding past one another horizontally, not one sinking beneath the other.

The boundary where the oceanic plate sinks beneath the continental plate is a subduction zone. This happens because oceanic crust is more dense, so as the plates converge, the oceanic plate dives back into the mantle, marking the area where they interact. The subduction zone is the active boundary; a trench is a deep surface feature that forms along this boundary, not the boundary itself. Mid-ocean ridges occur at divergent boundaries where new crust is created, and transform boundaries involve plates sliding past one another horizontally, not one sinking beneath the other.