Describe and explain destructive plate boundaries (30M)

A plate is a broken part of the earths crust. Plates move due to convection currents.
Magma heated in lower mantle, rises towards lithosphere, cools and becomes semi-
molten, moves sideways and sinks. This process is continuously repeated. Sideways
movement causes friction. This friction results in the movement of plates. This friction
causes the plates to move apart, collide or move past each other. This is where plate
boundaries are created constructive – where plates separate, destructive – where
plates collide and neutral where plates move past each other. In this answer I will
discuss destructive plate boundaries.

Destructive plate boundaries occur in 3 situations firstly where an oceanic and

continental plate collide e.g. Nazca and south American plates. When a continental and
an oceanic plate collide, the heavier oceanic plate sinks into the mantle. This is called
subduction. During subduction the magma moves up towards the continental crust
above to form explosive volcanic mountains e.g. the Andes. Deep sea trenches form at
the boundary of the colliding plates e.g. Peru Chile trench. Deep sea earthquakes are
associated with these trenches due to the lighter continental plate being pushed
upwards fold mountains are formed e.g. the alps.

Secondly, destructive plate boundaries occur where 2 continental plates collide e.g. the
Indo-Australian Plate is colliding with the Eurasian Plate. When two continental plates
collide, neither plate is subducted. This is because continental plates are too light to be
forced downward. The movement is mainly upwards. This process is called uplift. Both
plates are destroyed at the collision has caused the rock to buckle upwards forming
fold mountains e.g. the Himalayas
Earthquakes are common along continental-continental plate boundaries as friction
between the plates causes the crust to vibrate

Thirdly destructive plate boundaries occur where two oceanic plates collide.

When two oceanic plates collide, the heavier plate subducts underneath the lighter
plate. The plate sinks into the mantle and melts. Magma from the melting plate rises
upwards through the overlying plate. Eventually, the magma reaches the surface,
forming volcanoes. As material from the volcanoes build up, volcanic arc islands are
formed, e.g. the Mariana Islands in the Pacific Ocean
The friction caused between a subducting and an overlying plate leads to strong
earthquakes occurring along the boundary.