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Letter CGeology glossary

Convergent Boundary

A convergent boundary is a type of tectonic plate boundary where two plates move toward each other. At these boundaries, one plate is usually forced beneath the other in a process known as subduction. Convergent boundaries are associated with the formation of mountain ranges, deep ocean trenches, and volcanic activity. They are critical in understanding the processes of orogeny, subduction, and the recycling of oceanic crust into the mantle.

Continental plates forming mountain range diagram (convergent boundary)
Fig. 1 Continental plates forming mountain range diagram (convergent boundary)

Source Stern, R. J. (2002). “Subduction Zones.” Reviews of Geophysics, 40(4), 1012.

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