Final answer:
A subduction zone typically involves an oceanic plate being forced beneath a continental plate or another oceanic plate, where it eventually melts and recycles into the mantle. The term 'suture zone' aptly describes where continent-continent collisions occur, such as in the Himalayan Mountains.
Step-by-step explanation:
I would partially agree with the student's statement. While it is true that subduction zones involve one plate being forced beneath another, it can occur with either oceanic or continental plates involved. Typically, an oceanic plate subducts beneath a continental plate due to the oceanic plate's higher density. However, oceanic-oceanic plate subduction can also occur and is marked by the presence of an ocean trench, like the Japan trench. In these areas, the old crust is forced down into the mantle where it eventually melts, balancing out new crust formation that occurs at rift zones.
Regarding volcanism, volcanoes are generally closer to the coastline in subduction zones because the melting of the subducted slab that causes volcanism occurs near where the plates converge. For subduction zones with a continent-continent transform (CCT), deep earthquakes often accompany them, and these earthquakes tend to become shallower as you move away from the coast.
The term 'suture zone' for regions where two continental tectonic plates converge, like the Himalayan Mountains, is appropriate because it describes the area where the collisional features and remnants of previous ocean basins, such as ophiolites, are present.