Subduction is a geological process that occurs at convergent boundaries where the oceanic lithosphere and some continental lithosphere is recycled into the Earths mantle. It is one of the several ways that tectonic plates interact with each other. The following are key points about subduction:

• Definition: Subduction is the process in which one tectonic plate bends and descends beneath another plate.

• Process: Subduction occurs because oceanic material is denser than continental lithosphere. When the two collide at a subduction zone, the oceanic portion sinks into the mantle beneath the more buoyant continental lithosphere.

• Effects: Subduction is a powerful process that changes the shape of continents, recycles plate material to create new rock, builds volcanoes and ocean trenches, causes earthquakes, tsunamis, and landslides.

• Examples: The coast of Peru is an example of a subduction zone where the oceanic Nazca Plate is subducting below the South American plate creating an ocean trench off the coast of Peru as well as the Andes Mountains.

Subduction is an important part of the recycling process in plate tectonics. Plates melt to form volcanoes, trenches, and new rock at subduction zones, while new oceanic plates are formed at divergent boundaries such as the mid-Atlantic Ridge.