Subduction is a process in which which occurs?

• A. A process in which continents drift apart due to heat from the core.
• B. Two or more of Earth's tectonic plates converge and the older, denser plate is pushed beneath the lighter plate and deep into the mantle.
• C. Volcanic eruptions at mid-ocean ridges only.
• D. Plates slide past each other without subduction.

Answer: (B)

Subduction happens where tectonic plates collide and one dives downward into the mantle. The oceanic part of a plate is typically denser than the continental or another plate, so it sinks beneath the lighter plate at a convergent boundary. This description—plates converging with the denser one being pushed beneath the lighter and descending into the mantle—matches what subduction is. Subduction zones also create deep ocean trenches and can drive volcanic activity on the overlying plate, along with strong earthquakes. It’s not about continents drifting apart, nor about mid-ocean ridges erupting volcanos only, nor about plates sliding past each other.