Question

What part does subduction play in the rock cycle?

A. It breaks rocks into sediment
B. It decreases pressure on buried rocks
C. It pulls rocks deep into earth
D. It pushes rocks up to Earths surface

Answer 1

An igneous rock such as basalt may break down and dissolve when exposed to the atmosphere, or melt as it is subducted under a continent. Due to the driving forces of the rock cycle, plate tectonics and the water cycle, rocks do not remain in equilibrium and are forced to change as they encounter new environments.

Answer 2

Option (C)

Step-by-step explanation:

The subduction zones are the features that are created along the convergent plate boundary, where two plates move towards each other. As both the converging plate collides, the denser and heavier plate subducts below the less denser plate and this results in the formation of the subduction zone. As the heavy plate goes down, the pressure on the buried rocks increases and the denser rocks are pulled down deep into the greater depth, where the rocks undergoes partial melting. This zone is marked by the presence of a V-shaped trench that lies just above it.

Thus, the correct answer is option (C).