Book 12, Question 64
Why Are There Volcanoes Near Trenches?
Volcanoes pop up near ocean trenches because of water! When one plate sinks under another, it carries water down with it. That water helps hot rock melt.
More fun facts
- Subduction zones make the most powerful earthquakes, tsunamis and eruptions.
- Most active volcanoes lie along or near the edges of continents.
- More than half of active volcanoes circle the Pacific Ocean.
- In an island arc, volcanoes sit on a curved ridge next to a deep ocean trench.
- Other volcanoes form chains of islands out in the deep ocean basins.
Sources: U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Geological Survey
Questions kids ask
What is an island arc?
A curved chain of volcanic islands next to a deep ocean trench.