Final answer:
At a convergent boundary, the collision of two continental plates can lead to the buckling and folding of the Earth's crust, forming mountain ranges. However, when an oceanic plate is forced under a continental plate, it results in the destruction of the oceanic crust. Thus, a convergent boundary can result in both the creation of mountainous terrain through compression and the destruction of crust in subduction zones.
Step-by-step explanation:
At a convergent boundary, two tectonic plates come together, which can lead to the formation of mountains through a process commonly known as orogeny. When two continental plates collide, the crust is subject to immense pressure, causing it to buckle and fold. This can lead to the upthrusting of rock material, forming mountain ranges like the Alps, where the African plate pushes against the Eurasian plate.
However, not all compressive interactions at convergent boundaries result in mountains. For example, when an oceanic plate collides with a continental plate, the denser oceanic plate can be subducted beneath the continental plate. This leads to the destruction of the oceanic crust as it is forced down into the mantle, resulting in features like ocean trenches and volcanic activity from the melting subducted material.
Therefore, a convergent boundary can both create and destroy crust. In the context of mountain formation, it is typically the compression and upthrusting of the continental crust that leads to the creation of mountain terrain, rather than the creation of new crust which is mostly associated with divergent boundaries and rift zones.