Question

When an oceanic plate and a continental plate collide, what is the resulting feature?

Answer 1

The resulting feature is a trench because the oceanic plate will usually slip under the continental plate, which will then cause the contiental plate to push and then as time passes on, a trench will form.

Answer 2

When an oceanic plate strikes a continental plate, it results in the formation of a subduction zone, where the high density oceanic plate sink below the less denser continental plate. This subducting plate undergoes partial melting at greater depth. As a result of this, the magma at greater depth becomes lighter and less dense, and eventually rises up towards the surface. This magma comes out to the surface in the over-riding plate, in the form of volcanoes or a chain of volcanoes.

Thus, due to this convergent motion of two plates, namely the oceanic and the continental plate, it forms a subduction zone that is marked by a deep sea trench and volcanoes. For example, collision between South American plate and Pacific plate gave rise to the formation of St. Andes mountain.