Volcanoes that form at destructive plate boundaries are typically either island-arc volcanoes or Andean-type volcanoes, depending on the type of subduction.
Here's a breakdown:
-
Destructive Plate Boundaries: These are regions where tectonic plates collide. One plate is forced beneath the other (subduction) into the Earth's mantle. The subducting plate melts, and the resulting magma rises to the surface, creating volcanoes.
-
Types of Volcanoes at Destructive Boundaries:
-
Island-Arc Volcanoes: These form when an oceanic plate subducts beneath another oceanic plate. The volcanoes erupt through the overriding oceanic plate, creating a chain of volcanic islands known as an island arc.
- Example: The Mariana Islands in the Pacific Ocean.
-
Andean-Type Volcanoes: These form when an oceanic plate subducts beneath a continental plate. The volcanoes erupt through the continental crust, forming a volcanic mountain range along the coast.
- Example: The Andes Mountains in South America.
-
Therefore, the specific type of volcano formed at a destructive plate boundary depends on whether the subduction is occurring between two oceanic plates (island arc) or an oceanic and a continental plate (Andean-type).
