What Happens at Destructive Plate Boundaries


A destructive plate boundary occurs where two plates converge (collide) and where part of the earth’s crust is destroyed as a result of that convergence. One example of a destructive plate boundary


occurs along the western edge of South America, where the South American Plate collides with the Nazca Plate (see Figure 8). Part of the oceanic Nazca Plate melts (is destroyed) as it sinks beneath the mainly continental South American Plate. Figure 9 shows what happens.


Destructive plate boundary along the western edge of South America


8


See the labels on the facing page.


Volcanic mountain 4 Pacific Ocean Peru–Chile trench 1


Oceanic Nazca Plate


5 3 Batholith 2 Terranes Nazca Plate


American Plate


South


Andes fold mountains


Mantle


Focus of earthquake


Continental South American Plate 9 6


This is what happens where the Nazca and South American plates converge. Give the locations of four of the world’s convergent plate boundaries. Use Figure 6 on page 5 to help you.


Subduction


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