Which features are produced at convergent plate boundaries?

• A. Rift valleys
• B. Transform faults and earthquakes with little volcanism
• C. Subduction zones, volcanic arcs, and mountain belts
• D. Mid-ocean ridges

Answer: (C)

At convergent plate boundaries, compression drives one plate to dive beneath another in a process called subduction. This creates deep trenches and intense earthquakes along the boundary. As the subducting slab melts, magma forms and rises to the surface, producing volcanic activity on the overriding plate—forming volcanic arcs. When two continental plates collide, the crust is thickened and uplifted, building large mountain belts. So the hallmark features are subduction zones, volcanic arcs, and mountain belts.

Rift valleys arise where plates pull apart (divergent boundaries), transform faults accommodate sliding motion with frequent earthquakes but little volcanism, and mid-ocean ridges form where new crust is created at divergent boundaries.