Final answer:
A subduction zone is formed when one tectonic plate is pushed beneath another, leading to volcanic activity as liquid rock rises to the surface, often marked by features like ocean trenches and contributing to mountain range formation.
Step-by-step explanation:
When two tectonic plates converge, and one plate is forced beneath another, it results in a geologic formation called a subduction zone. In these zones, the subducted oceanic crust is subjected to high pressure and temperature, causing it to melt several hundred kilometers below the surface, forming liquid rock or magma. This magma can then rise to the surface, leading to volcanic activity. A prominent feature that often marks a subduction zone is an ocean trench, such as the deep Japan trench along the coast of Asia. The process of subduction not only results in the recycling of the Earth's crust but also contributes to the formation of mountain ranges and other tectonic phenomena on the planet's surface.
When one tectonic plate is pushed below another and liquid rocks rise to the surface, it forms a subduction zone.
In this process, the thinner oceanic plates are forced down into the upper mantle beneath the thicker continental masses. This often creates ocean trenches and leads to the melting of the subducted plate several hundred kilometers below the surface, resulting in the formation of liquid rocks that rise to the surface.