Oceanic-oceanic crust collisions
From GeoClasses
Oceanic-oceanic crust collision. Kios and Tilling, 1996, Dynamic Earth, USGS
When oceanic crust collides with oceanic crust, they both have similar densities. However, instead of crumpling up to form a mountain range as happens when the continents collide, one plate will subduct beneath the other, similar to what happens when oceanic crust and continental crust collide.
The overriding plate creates a mountain range with volcanoes, but because these start off from the floor of the ocean, these mountains barely break the surface of the ocean. This line of underwater mountains and small islands is called an island arc.
A deep trench forms where the subducted plate bends downward.
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Marianas
Oceanic-oceanic crust collision. The Marianas island arc. The deepest spot in the Earth's ocean is located in the Marianas trench. Source: National Geophysical Data Center
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Movies
Movies from From NOAA Ocean Explorer.
- Marianas Arc
- Another Marianas flythrough.
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