The diagram shows the motion of two plates.
Which of these explains the feature that can form at the boundary of these two plates?
A.
A broad canyon-like valley because the two colliding plates act like a plow, digging out any soil in the plates' paths.
B.
Volcanic mountain range because one oceanic plate melts underneath the continental plate, forming composite volcanoes on the continent.
C.
Island arc because one oceanic plate melts underneath the continental plate, forming volcanic mountains that eventually become islands.
C. Island arc because one oceanic plate melts underneath the continental plate, forming volcanic mountains that eventually become islands.
Jessica is working on the Fantasy Map for her midterm. She has drawn some of her plates and continents already. She also has arrows showing which direction each plate is moving. She is struggling with where to put her volcanoes.
Select the yellow box that represents the BEST location for volcanoes based on your understanding of Plate Tectonics and the information provided on the map.
Unfortunately, there is no map provided for me to view and make a selection. Please provide the necessary information or materials for me to assist you better.
To determine which of the three options explains the feature that can form at the boundary of two plates, we can break down each explanation and analyze them.
Option A states that the two colliding plates act as a plow, digging out any soil in their paths and forming a broad canyon-like valley. This phenomenon is known as a transform boundary or a conservative plate boundary, where two plates slide horizontally past each other. This boundary does not typically result in the formation of valleys, so option A is unlikely to be the correct explanation.
Option B suggests that one oceanic plate melts underneath a continental plate, forming composite volcanoes and resulting in a volcanic mountain range. This type of boundary is known as a convergent boundary, specifically a subduction zone, where two plates collide, and one plate moves underneath the other. This boundary can indeed result in the formation of volcanic mountain ranges, so option B is a plausible explanation.
Lastly, option C proposes that one oceanic plate melts beneath a continental plate, forming volcanic mountains that eventually become islands. This type of boundary is also a convergent boundary, but it specifically leads to the formation of an island arc. As the subducting oceanic plate melts beneath the continental plate, a series of volcanic eruptions occur, forming a chain of volcanic islands. Therefore, option C is also a valid explanation.
Based on the information provided and by analyzing the features described, it seems that both option B and option C can explain the feature that can form at the boundary of these two plates. Therefore, the correct answer would be either option B or option C, depending on whether the resulting feature is a volcanic mountain range or an island arc.