Convergent boundaries are sometimes called destructive plate margins. What is destroyed at a convergent boundary?
1 Answer
At convergent boundaries consisting of an ocean plate and a continental plate the ocean plate is pushed under the continental plate and destroyed.
Explanation:
There are different types of convergent boundaries not all are destructive plate margins.
Where two continental plates collide there is no destruction of plate material. Instead both of the continental plate buckle upward forming mountains.
Where a continental plate collides with an ocean plate the ocean plate is pushed under the continental plate and melted. All of the fossil layers of the ocean plate are destroyed. The material of the ocean plate is melted and often comes back to the surface as magma and lava.
Where two ocean plates meet like off of the Solomon Islands both ocean plates are pushed down forming a deep ocean trench. The convergent boundary results in the destruction of both plates. The destruction is usually uneven between the two plates resulting in the formation of island chains such as the Solomon's and the Philipians
The destruction of ocean sedimentary layers in convergent boundaries creates a yet unanswered question in the existence of oceanic sedimentary layers on the continental plates.
