Which term describes a plate boundary where two plates collide?

• A. Atmosphere
• B. Divergent boundary
• C. Convergent boundary
• D. Transform boundary

Answer: (C)

When two tectonic plates move toward each other and collide, that boundary is described as a convergent boundary. The collision compresses the rocks and can push crust upward to form mountains, or cause one plate to dive beneath another in a subduction zone, which often creates volcanoes and deep trenches. This is different from a divergent boundary, where plates move apart and new crust forms at mid-ocean ridges, and from a transform boundary, where plates slide past each other horizontally. The term atmosphere has no relation to plate boundaries.