Which of the following does NOT occur at a convergent boundary?
A. The leading edges of both plates are bent downward.
B. Oceanic crust is pushed down into the mantle.
C. One continental plate moves into an oceanic plate.
I think it's C
... does NOT occur ...
You are correct. Option C, "One continental plate moves into an oceanic plate," does not occur at a convergent boundary. At a convergent boundary, two tectonic plates come together. There are three types of convergent boundaries: continental-continental, oceanic-oceanic, and oceanic-continental. It is at the oceanic-continental and oceanic-oceanic convergent boundaries where oceanic crust is pushed down into the mantle, a process known as subduction. This results in the formation of trenches and volcanic activity. However, when a continental plate and an oceanic plate collide, the denser oceanic plate is subducted beneath the less dense continental plate. Therefore, the leading edges of both plates are not bent downward as in option A.
To determine which of the options does NOT occur at a convergent boundary, we need to understand what happens at a convergent boundary.
A convergent boundary occurs when tectonic plates move towards each other. There are three types of convergent boundaries: oceanic-continental, oceanic-oceanic, and continental-continental.
At an oceanic-continental convergent boundary (option C), an oceanic plate, which is denser, moves towards a continental plate. The denser oceanic plate is forced beneath the less dense continental plate in a process called subduction. This subduction creates a trench and can lead to the formation of volcanoes and mountain ranges on the continental plate.
At an oceanic-oceanic convergent boundary (option B), two oceanic plates collide. Similarly, the denser plate subducts beneath the other, forming a trench and potentially creating volcanic arcs.
At a continental-continental convergent boundary (option A), two continental plates collide. In this case, neither plate subducts beneath the other due to their similar densities. Instead, the collision crumples the edges of the plates, creating a mountain range.
Based on this information, we can conclude that option C (One continental plate moves into an oceanic plate) does NOT occur at a convergent boundary. Instead, it describes a scenario that would happen at a divergent boundary, where the plates move apart from each other.